Nine Georgian opposition parties have formed a new alliance and agreed on a “common strategy and joint rules of action” aimed at ending the rule of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream.
The ruling Georgian Dream has faced mounting criticism over democratic backsliding following a series of crackdowns after introducing a “foreign agents” law modeled on Russia’s in 2024. The EU said Georgia’s EU membership bid was effectively placed on hold the same year.
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The latest alliance brings together a broad spectrum of pro-Western opposition actors, including Ahali, the United National Movement (UNM), Droa, Girchi-More Freedom, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, European Georgia, the National Democratic Party, the Federalists, and Freedom Square.
In their joint statement, the signatories said the agreement aims to end what they called Ivanishvili’s “autocratic regime,” restore Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic course, and ensure democratic governance, security, and citizens’ welfare.
Georgia’s InterpressNews said the alliance is built around the principle of “unity without uniformity” – meaning parties retain their own ideological identities while acting through a unified protest plan and coordinated communications strategy.
The statement also frames the project as an effort to demonstrate – to voters at home and partners abroad – that the opposition can function as a credible, responsible “democratic alternative” to the current government.
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OC Media reported the alliance was announced after a meeting in Tbilisi, as political pressure on dissent has intensified, including criminal cases against opposition figures and steps targeting parties through legal mechanisms.
Nika Gvaramia, a leader of the Coalition for Change, told Radio Tavisupleba that the consultations took a long time and unfolded in a climate where “many” people ended up in prison, including politicians, journalists, and other public figures.
The alliance says freeing political prisoners and winning “free and fair elections” are central goals.
Despite the broader coordination, the bloc does not include two major opposition forces – Lelo and former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia – a gap that highlights continuing fragmentation within the opposition.
OC Media said For Georgia has criticized previous opposition tactics, including the boycott of the 2025 local elections, while Lelo has said earlier unity formats stalled or collapsed and undermined public trust – signaling it would continue operating independently while leaving the door open to cooperation on specific issues.
Georgian Dream figures dismissed the alliance and again sought to portray it as a rebranding of the UNM – a line the ruling party regularly uses to discredit a wide range of opponents by linking them to controversies from the UNM’s time in power.
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