Georgia is sinking deeper into crisis, as a pro-European protest movement is met with a severe police crackdown that has been condemned by EU officials. Our guest has been out in the streets every night, demonstrating against the ruling party’s decision to pause Georgia’s EU membership process, and in protest at the recent parliamentary election which the pro-European camp is convinced was rigged – a view backed up by the EU parliament and by the joint observation mission of several western organisations. Giorgi Baramidze is a former state minister for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Integration, and a former deputy prime minister of Georgia.

“Georgians are really very angry,” Baramidze says. “According to all the opinion polls, 80 percent of our citizens strongly support EU and NATO integration. So these days were very turbulent because the ruling party completely rigged the elections in October – which was recognised by a recent European parliament resolution – and then they declared that they are going to stop Georgia’s EU membership process. That, by the way, is against Georgia’s constitution. Article 78 says that every Georgian authority and institution must do its utmost to achieve Georgia’s EU and NATO membership. So they went against the constitution.”

Asked about the tactics used by the police and the interior ministry, Baramidze responds, “they are very brutal. They are chasing people, even to private homes, to offices, to pharmacies, and far away from the parliament building when the protests are happening. They are beating them brutally, and with absolutely no consequences. We seriously suspect that there are not only policemen but also organised mob groups mobilised by the government. Because, if you see the pictures, they don't have identification numbers. They are absolutely in black, covering their faces, and nobody knows who they are. And if they commit any crime or violence, nobody can investigate this.”

Baramidze contends that many members of the security forces “have been brainwashed. They say, ‘we don't want to Georgia become a gay country’, and things like that. The reality is that we want to be a part of Europe. This is a historic dream of the Georgian people. But Putin obviously doesn't want this. He doesn't want Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine to be free, to be part of the democratic club, to be part of civilised society. He doesn’t want the countries around Russia to be successful, happy and prosperous.”

The Baltic members of the EU have announced sanctions on Georgian officials deemed to be responsible for the crackdown, while Ukraine has announced measures not just against the Georgian prime minister but also against the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, often called the ‘éminence grise’ of Georgian politics. Will any of this make a difference?

“It will make a difference, absolutely,” Baramidze responds. Because these people are lying to their subordinates that nothing will happen. That the Europeans will just make some noise, and then everything will be okay – you can still go with your families to Milan, to Paris for shopping. Your kids still can still study abroad in the United States, in European countries. But this time, I'm absolutely confident that anyone who is at the top of this pro-Russian criminal organisation named Georgian Dream, as well as their subordinates, will be severely sanctioned and punished.”

We put it to Baramidze that Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze considers the protest movement an attempt at a coup d’état, with demonstrators seeking another Maidan-style regime change. Is that in fact the goal of the protesters? Or is their goal simply to re-run the parliamentary election?

“We don't need any violence,” he replies. “Our people's goal [is] to get rid of this criminal gang from the government. Therefore, we call for free and fair elections, as reflected in the European parliament’s resolution. We need free and fair elections organised and monitored by the European Union, not by the pocket Central Electoral Committee. And of course we want a civilised, peaceful change of government. In 2012, President Saakashvili recognised defeat and handed over power peacefully to Georgian Dream. That's how it happens in normal European countries. That's how it happened in Georgia as well.”

Programme prepared by Luke Brown, Isabelle Romero and Perrine Desplats

We need a peaceful change of government: Georgia's former vice-PM Baramidze

Talking Europe