Protests in Georgia against the stolen elections continue. On Monday, November 11, another protest rally, "We are Europe!", was held in Tbilisi. The participants believe that the parliamentary elections on October 26 were rigged. A key difference in this rally compared to previous ones was the massive participation of European politicians. To support the Georgians in defending their choice, the heads of foreign relations committees from the parliaments of Germany, Finland, Sweden, France, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland attended the event.

During his speech, Polish Sejm Deputy Michał Kamiński drew parallels to 2008, when Georgians successfully defended their independence, expressing hope that this time, too, the people will unite and prevent their choice from being stolen. "To all those who want to steal your elections, who want to steal your votes, who want to steal your freedom, we can repeat the famous words of Ukrainian soldiers: 'Russian warship…' This is our answer to Putin! This is our answer to Russia! We will win! Georgia will be in Europe!" he declared.

The Chairman of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael Roth, in turn, called for a thorough investigation into the voter manipulation.

The Georgian authorities have officially launched an investigation, but no one believes in the objectivity of its findings. A telling example of the authorities' "honest investigation" was the decision of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals, which overturned the Tetritskaro Court's decision to annul the results at all polling stations where electronic technologies were used for voting. This affects 30 stations where voting secrecy was compromised.

The presence of European deputies confirmed that the Georgians are not alone in their struggle for the country's future. “Fight for your freedom, fight for your democracy, fight for your country, fight for your EU and NATO membership… There is no Russian dream, there is a European dream, and you are part of that Europe!” declared Lithuanian MP and chairman of the parliamentary committee on European affairs, Žygimantas Pavilionis.

The essence of the protest was succinctly expressed by Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg, who, along with her supporters, also joined the pro-European opposition rally outside the parliament building. "Georgia deserves fair and democratic elections. It’s that simple," she stated.

The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, also believes that Georgia is entering a deep political crisis, which can be resolved through new parliamentary elections, with Europe's assistance. “It is necessary to hold new elections so that Georgia can have a legitimate parliament, a legitimate government, and a legitimate president when the time comes,” Zourabichvili stated.

The Georgian diaspora is also not giving up. A prominent figure in the Georgian diaspora and British philanthropist, Tamaz Somkhishvili, declared that the West has finally woken up and heard the Georgian opposition. This has alarmed the official authorities. Representatives of the pro-Russian "Georgian Dream" party, which was credited with 54% in the elections, have refused to cooperate or meet with EU representatives. Additionally, the general secretary of the ruling party and Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, went even further, calling European parliamentarians “ordinary pests.”

The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, in turn, attempted to accuse the EU of interfering in Georgian elections, claiming that “the denial of democracy by European politicians ultimately undermines trust and authority in the European Union.” This comes despite a poll by the International Republican Institute (IRI) showing that a record 89% of Georgian citizens support joining the EU. Only the draconian laws passed by "Georgian Dream" MPs under orders from the Kremlin, such as the introduction of the foreign agent law, are reversing this process.

It seems that Bidzina Ivanishvili's occupying government lacks instructions from the Kremlin on what to do if Europe does not simply swallow the falsification of public will, as it did before. This explains their reluctance to meet with strong opponents. As the Georgian authorities continue their usual clampdown, they are only worsening their own position. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze even threatened to ban opposition parties that do not recognize the results of the October 26 elections. “Victory is near. Pressure must be intensified,” believes Somkhishvili.

Indeed, the arrival of European MPs brings hope that this time EU leaders will go beyond “expressing deep concern,” formally recognizing the elections as fraudulent and invalid, and will intensify pressure on Georgia's pro-Russian authorities to hold new parliamentary elections with stronger monitoring to prevent violations.

Successful precedents are well remembered. In 2004, Ukrainians, with support from the democratic world, defended their choice and prevented pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych from coming to power through fraud and manipulations. Georgians, too, deserve a chance to escape Russia’s stifling embrace and find a path toward a European future.

The people of Sakartvelo are freedom-loving. European support has strengthened the spirit of civil protest. It is time for Russia's temporary rulers in power to take heed and start packing their bags. Georgia has been, is, and will be an independent European state, not a Russian colony.