Tbilisi: Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze declared on Tuesday that efforts to incite a "revolution" in the country had failed, following five consecutive nights of protests triggered by the government’s decision to pause European Union accession talks until 2028.

Georgia, long regarded as one of the former Soviet Union's most pro-Western nations, plunged into political turmoil last week when the ruling Georgian Dream party announced the suspension of EU membership negotiations.

Adding to the opposition's challenges, the constitutional court declined on Tuesday to hear a case disputing the results of the October 26 parliamentary elections, which Georgian Dream officially won with nearly 54% of the vote. The opposition alleges the results were marred by fraud.

The lawsuit was filed by President Salome Zourabichvili, a vocal pro-EU critic of the ruling party who has supported the protests. However, Zourabichvili's role is largely symbolic, and her term ends next month.

Addressing reporters, Kobakhidze likened the protests to Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan uprising, which ousted a pro-Russian president. "The attempt to organize a Maidan in Georgia is over. I urge everyone to maintain calm," he said.

Demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi for a fifth consecutive night on Monday, rallying outside parliament and other cities across the nation of 3.7 million. Clashes erupted as protesters launched fireworks at riot police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. Barricades were erected along Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi, and confrontations extended into early Tuesday.

The Interior Ministry reported 22 arrests and 12 injured law enforcement officers. Local media stated that 23 protesters were hospitalized, including a 22-year-old man in critical condition with brain injuries after being struck by a tear gas canister.


Kobakhidze warned that protest organizers would face legal repercussions, accusing them of orchestrating a violent power grab. "Specific individuals committed crimes, and the prosecutor's office will take appropriate actions," he said.

The unrest highlights deep divisions within Georgia over its European aspirations, as the government’s decision to delay EU talks has reignited public anger and calls for a pro-Western trajectory.