Tbilisi Rally Backs German Ambassador After Unprecedented Diplomatic Summons
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, September 27, 2025
On September 28, the 305th day of pro-European demonstrations, citizens in Tbilisi gathered to show solidarity with German Ambassador Peter Fischer and to underscore Georgian-German friendship. The rally was in part a reaction to an unprecedented diplomatic escalation: on September 24, Georgia's Foreign Ministry formally summoned Ambassador Fischer, the first time in modern history that a German envoy has been called in in such fashion in bilateral relations.
Protesters assembled on Nino Chkheidze Street, outside the German Embassy, before marching toward the Georgian Parliament. Many carried Georgian and European Union flags, along with posters expressing gratitude for Germany's role in supporting Georgia's path to EU integration.
Speakers at the rally thanked Germany and Ambassador Fischer for their long-standing support. They said the recent criticism from Georgian Dream leaders represented not only an attack on a foreign diplomat but also on bilateral relations.
"Germany is one of Georgia's most important partners. With its active support, our country has been strengthening institutions, developing infrastructure, and creating new opportunities for young people for many years," the organizers said in a statement.
They described Fischer as a symbol of close cooperation between the two countries: "His open support for democracy, the rule of law, and European integration represents the values that unite Georgia and Germany," the statement continued.
The rally formed part of a broader protest movement now in its 305th day, with demonstrators demanding fair parliamentary elections and the unconditional release of detained protesters.
On September 24, following the summons, the German Foreign Ministry "categorically condemned" the step. Fischer was received by Giorgi Zurabashvili, the first deputy to Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili.
