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European Socialists ევროპელი სოციალისტები
Chairman	Fridon Injia
Founded	January 9, 2021 (2021-01-09)
Split from	Alliance of Patriots
Headquarters	Tbilisi
Ideology	Populism Conservatism Soft Euroscepticism
Political position	Fiscal: Centre-left Social: Right-wing
Colors	Blue and   Red
Seats In Parliament	0 / 150
Seats In Martvili Municipal Assembly	4 / 33
Website
eusocialists.ge
Politics of Georgia Political parties Elections

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

The party represented an opposition in the 10th convocation of Parliament of Georgia from 2021 to 2024, but it failed to receive any seats in the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election as it failed to gather enough signatures to register for the polls. While in Parliament, European Socialists was known for close cooperation with the ruling Georgian Dream government. The party supports the controversial 'foreign agent bill'. The group’s political leanings are a subject to debate among analysts with some seeing the party as social democratic and pro-European, while others argue it is a conservative pro-Russian party.

History

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.

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. 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. 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".

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.

In 2024, European Socialists supported the controversial 'foreign agents bill' that led to the widespread protests. 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. Ilia Injia, the son of the party leader Fridon Injia became a Georgian Dream candidate on its electoral list.

Ideology

Despite the party's name projecting a left-wing pro-European image, analysts disagree over the party's actual political leanings. Some see the party as standing for socialism, social democracy, and pro-Europeanism, while others disagree and see the group as a conservative or a far-right Trojan Horse. Additionally, the party is frequently described as pro-Russian and anti-Western with Europe Elects seeing the party as being "somewhat opposed to EU integration". Myth Detector has further labeled the comments made by the party as xenophobic. The party is also described as having a "tendency towards authoritarianism". It is widely labeled a pro-Government party or its proxy.

Electoral performance

Local election

References

1. ^ Viktor Jørgen Blichfeldt (2023). "Dancing with the Devil: The Populist Radical Right of Georgia and Its Russian Affinity". Universitas Tartuensis.
2. ^ "Parties, Parliaments and Polling Averages - Georgia". Europe Elects.
3. "რატომ ეთქვა უარი არჩევნებში რეგისტრაციაზე ფრიდონ ინჯიას, შოთა შალელაშვილის და აკაკი ასათიანის პარტიებს? – ცესკო განცხადებას ავრცელებს". Ambebi.ge. 29 August 2024.
4. ^ "Parliament suspends status of three MPs of pro-Russian Alliance of Patriots". Agenda.ge. 4 January 2021.
5. "Alliance of Patriots to held protest rally in Kutaisi on November 9". 1st Channel of Georgia. 5 November 2020.
6. "Former Alliance of Patriots MPs Launch 'European Socialists' Party". Civil Georgia. 10 January 2021.
7. "ალტ-ინფოსა და პატრიოტთა ალიანსის გაერთიანება - ზურაბ მახარაძე, მალხაზ თოფურია და ვახო მეგრელიშვილი". Girchi • გირჩი. 2 July 2024.
8. "Protocol elected municipal council members and mayors 2021" (PDF) (in Georgian). CESKO Central Election Commission. pp. 39–40. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
9. Henry Ridgwel (13 June 2024). "Georgia's NGOs refuse to comply with 'Russian' foreign agent law". Voice of America.
10. Jelger Groeneveld (23 July 2024). "2024 Elections Parliament of Georgia". East Watch.
11. ""ქართული ოცნების" პარტიული სია გამოქვეყნდა". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Georgian). 26 September 2024.
12. ლელა კუნჭულია (14 January 2021). "ინჯიას "ევროპელი სოციალისტების" პრორუსული, ანტიდასავლური განწყობები". Radio Tavisufleba.
13. European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity. "Georgia - Political Parties".
14. Gabriel Gavin (25 June 2023). "Georgia's pro-EU parties unite in bid to oust government". Politico.
15. ^ Tata Shoshiashvili (27 June 2023). "Georgian Dream ramps up homophobic rhetoric as Pride Week approaches". OC Media.
16. ^ Tamar Kintsurashvili; Mariam Dangadze (12 January 2021). "Pro-Kremlin Messages Voiced by European Socialists' Political Council Members". Myth Detector.
17. "ინჯია ბოკერიას: ევროპელი სოციალისტები პირველი ოპოზიციური პარტია ვართ პარლამენტში". Tabula. 9 January 2021.
18. Nini Beridze (20 February 2024). "როგორ ეცდება რუსეთი საქართველოს საპარლამენტო არჩევნებში ჩარევას - სხვადასხვა ხრიკები და მექანიზმები". Resonance Daily.
19. Alexander Davitashvili (5 September 2023). "Georgian Dream Decides to Impeach President Zourabichvili". Caspian Post.
20. Henry Ridgwell (12 June 2024). "Georgia's protesters vow to stay on streets until government falls". Voice of America News.

v t e Political parties in Georgia
Parliamentary majority	Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia People's Power
Parliamentary opposition	Coalition for Change Ahali Girchi – More Freedom Droa Republican Party Unity – National Movement United National Movement European Georgia Strategy Aghmashenebeli Progress and Freedom Strong Georgia Lelo For the People Citizens Freedom Square For Georgia Conservative Party
Extra-parliamentary parties	Parties with local representation Alliance of Patriots of Georgia Georgian Labour Party Free Georgia Girchi European Socialists Unrepresented Christian-Democratic Movement Communist Party of Georgia Chven Democratic Movement – United Georgia Victorious Georgia European Democrats Eri Federalists Free Democrats Law and Justice Georgian March Georgian Troupe Greens Party of Georgia Ilia Chavchavadze Society Industry Will Save Georgia National Forum New Communist Party of Georgia National Democratic Party People's Party Social Democrats for the Development of Georgia Solidarity Alliance of Georgia Freedom Union of Georgian Traditionalists Unified Communist Party of Georgia
Defunct	Round Table—Free Georgia National Independence Party of Georgia Union of Citizens of Georgia Democratic Union for Revival People's Front Movement for United Georgia Unity Intellectuals League of Georgia New Rights Party Rightist Opposition Development Movement The Way of Georgia Burjanadze-Democrats Democratic Party Peace Merab Kostava Society 11 October Bloc Unity Bloc Charta 91 Socialist Party of Georgia United National Council Alliance for Georgia Georgian Party Strength Is in Unity State for the People
Historical	Social Democratic Party of Georgia Georgian Socialist-Federalist Revolutionary Party Mesame Dasi
Banned	Communist Party of Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic Centrist Party Conservative Movement Georgian Idea
Portal:Politics List of political parties Politics of Georgia List of political parties in Abkhazia List of political parties in South Ossetia

• 2021 establishments in Georgia (country)
• Eurosceptic parties
• Political parties established in 2021
• Social democratic parties in Georgia (country)
• Centre-left parties in Georgia (country)