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European Socialists (Georgia)

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This article is about a political party in Georgia established in 2021. For the European political party, see Party of European Socialists.
European Socialists
ევროპელი სოციალისტები
ChairmanFridon Injia
FoundedJanuary 9, 2021 (2021-01-09)
Split fromAlliance of Patriots
HeadquartersTbilisi
Ideology
Political positionSyncretic
Colors  Blue and   Red
Seats In Parliament
3 / 150
Seats In Martvili Municipal Assembly
4 / 33
Website
eusocialists.ge

European Socialists (Georgian: ევროპელი სოციალისტები, romanized: evrop'eli sotsialist'ebi) is a political party in Georgia. The party was created on January 9, 2021, by four MPs who separated from the right-wing populist Alliance of Patriots. The party was registered in the National Agency of Public Registry on 28 January 2021.

While nominally independent of the ruling Georgian Dream, the European Socialists advanced the ruling party agenda and have been described as pro-ruling party and its proxy.[3][4][5] The party has supported the "foreign agent bill", anti-LGBT policies, and other controversial initiatives of Georgian Dream. The party was represented in the 10th convocation of Parliament of Georgia from 2021 to 2024, but it did not participate in the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election as it did not submit the required number of signatures to register for the polls.[6]

History

[edit]
Fridon Injia, the leader of European Socialists.

In 2020 parliamentary election, Alliance of Patriots, a right-wing populist and anti-Western party, received 3.14% of the vote electing 4 deputies through the party list. However, the party along with the rest of the opposition claimed that the results were fabricated and therefore refused to enter the parliament, launching protests against the government.[7][8]

Irma Inashvili, Gocha Tevdoradze, and Giorgi Lomia suspended their MP status, however, the party as a whole did not cancel the entire party list, which allowed Avtandil Enukidze, Davit Zilpimiani, Gela Mikadze, and Pridon Injia to keep their mandates and enter the parliament.[7] They soon left Alliance of Patriots and established European Socialists, formally rejecting their former party's Euroscepticism and support for military neutrality, declaring a Euro-Atlantic agenda.[9] Alliance of Patriots has referred to the move as a "betrayal" and described their name as "cynical", stating that a party of "4 millionaires can not be socialist".[10]

The party ran in the 2021 local elections. It got 0.15% nationwide with almost the entirety of its vote being concentrated in Martvili. There it elected 4 MPs getting 6%. The party managed to elect another MP in Kazbegi.[11]

In 2024, European Socialists supported the controversial 'foreign agents bill' that led to the widespread protests.[12] The party’s registration to run in the 2024 parliamentary election was rejected by the Election Administration of Georgia due to the party failing to provide 25,000 signatures before the 1 August deadline.[13] Ilia Injia, the son of the party leader Fridon Injia became a Georgian Dream candidate on its electoral list.[14]

In February 2025, three MPs — Ilia Injia, Varlam Liparteliani, and Nika Elisashvili — left the ruling Georgian Dream faction to form a new "opposition" group under the banner of European Socialists.[15] The pseudo-opposition group was subsequently registered by the parliamentary bureau. According to Ilia Injia, the group views itself as fulfilling the role of a "healthy opposition," while maintaining a consistent, principled stance toward "radical opposition groups". He further stated that the group's goal is to "prevent the UNM's revanchism" and to "keep the country from returning to its dark past."[13][16]

Ideology

[edit]

Despite the party's name projecting a left-wing pro-European image, their so-called proto-Western name is considered by some analysts a deliberate disguise from their real color as a pro-Russian and anti-Western party.[17] The party is also described as centre-left, populist, conservative or a far-right Trojan Horse.[1][2][3] The party is frequently described as pro-Russian and anti-Western, with Europe Elects seeing the party as being "somewhat opposed to EU integration".[2][18][19][20] Myth Detector has further labeled the comments made by the party as xenophobic.[18] The party is also described as having a "tendency towards authoritarianism".[1] It is widely labeled a pro-Government party or its proxy.[3][21][22]

Electoral performance

[edit]

Local election

[edit]
Election Votes % Seats +/–
2021 2 682 0.15
5 / 2,068
 New

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Viktor Jørgen Blichfeldt (2023). "Dancing with the Devil: The Populist Radical Right of Georgia and Its Russian Affinity". Universitas Tartuensis.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Parties, Parliaments and Polling Averages - Georgia". Europe Elects.
  3. ^ a b c Tata Shoshiashvili (27 June 2023). "Georgian Dream ramps up homophobic rhetoric as Pride Week approaches". OC Media.
  4. ^ Alexander Davitashvili (5 September 2023). "Georgian Dream Decides to Impeach President Zourabichvili". Caspian Post.
  5. ^ Henry Ridgwell (12 June 2024). "Georgia's protesters vow to stay on streets until government falls". Voice of America News.
  6. ^ "რატომ ეთქვა უარი არჩევნებში რეგისტრაციაზე ფრიდონ ინჯიას, შოთა შალელაშვილის და აკაკი ასათიანის პარტიებს? – ცესკო განცხადებას ავრცელებს". Ambebi.ge. 29 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Parliament suspends status of three MPs of pro-Russian Alliance of Patriots". Agenda.ge. 4 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Alliance of Patriots to held protest rally in Kutaisi on November 9". 1st Channel of Georgia. 5 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Former Alliance of Patriots MPs Launch 'European Socialists' Party". Civil Georgia. 10 January 2021.
  10. ^ "ალტ-ინფოსა და პატრიოტთა ალიანსის გაერთიანება - ზურაბ მახარაძე, მალხაზ თოფურია და ვახო მეგრელიშვილი". Girchi • გირჩი. 2 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Protocol elected municipal council members and mayors 2021" (PDF) (in Georgian). CESKO Central Election Commission. pp. 39–40. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  12. ^ Henry Ridgwel (13 June 2024). "Georgia's NGOs refuse to comply with 'Russian' foreign agent law". Voice of America.
  13. ^ a b Jelger Groeneveld (23 July 2024). "2024 Elections Parliament of Georgia". East Watch.
  14. ^ ""ქართული ოცნების" პარტიული სია გამოქვეყნდა". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Georgian). 26 September 2024.
  15. ^ "European Socialists to form new opposition group in Parliament". 1TV. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  16. ^ "ბიურომ ახალი ფსევდოოპოზიციური პოლიტიკური ჯგუფი რეგისტრაციაში გაატარა" [The Bureau has registered a new pseudo-opposition political group]. Publika (in Georgian). 2025-02-07. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  17. ^ ლელა კუნჭულია (14 January 2021). "ინჯიას "ევროპელი სოციალისტების" პრორუსული, ანტიდასავლური განწყობები". Radio Tavisufleba.
  18. ^ a b Tamar Kintsurashvili; Mariam Dangadze (12 January 2021). "Pro-Kremlin Messages Voiced by European Socialists' Political Council Members". Myth Detector.
  19. ^ "ინჯია ბოკერიას: ევროპელი სოციალისტები პირველი ოპოზიციური პარტია ვართ პარლამენტში". Tabula. 9 January 2021.
  20. ^ Nini Beridze (20 February 2024). "როგორ ეცდება რუსეთი საქართველოს საპარლამენტო არჩევნებში ჩარევას - სხვადასხვა ხრიკები და მექანიზმები". Resonance Daily.
  21. ^ Alexander Davitashvili (5 September 2023). "Georgian Dream Decides to Impeach President Zourabichvili". Caspian Post.
  22. ^ Henry Ridgwell (12 June 2024). "Georgia's protesters vow to stay on streets until government falls". Voice of America News.
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