The First Political Bar Opens in Tbilisi
Recent political developments in Georgia have been as fascinating as they were concerning. The varied approaches of the government and the political opposition to what society wants leave the people more confused and in a constant state of angst. Then come the protest rallies and the government using force to break them up. This chain seems to be never-ending and more importantly brings no satisfaction to the Georgian public. Maybe that is why the padlocks ended up on the gates of majoritarian deputies’ bureaus, put there by members of European Georgia throughout the country on November 22.
In search of some type of Breaker of the Chains (referencing both the Game of Thrones and the Fleetwood Mac song here), four young men- Sergi Gigani, Giorgi Matcharashvili, Luka Tkebuchava, and Zura Iashvili united. Their idea of opening a political bar dates back to the events of June 20, better known as Gavrilov’s Night. It became evident to them right then that the wall between the politicians and the people had to be torn down as soon as possible. The co-founders finally realized their dream on Sunday, November 24, as the doors of the first political bar in Georgia titled ‘Parliament’ opened to everyone. The opening ceremony was attended by social activists, politicians, and media representatives.
Located on historical Kiacheli Street in the old part of Tbilisi, Parliament Political Bar will be the place where people with different political views will have the opportunity to share their ideas with fellow politicians and the public. Starting this week, the Parliament Political Bar will be hosting political events such as panel discussions, lectures, dialogues and other platforms. What makes the place more interesting and appealing is that patriotic work will be done with the accompaniment of delicious food and wine. Additionally, as the co-founders told us, most of the events hosted by the first political bar in Georgia will be free to attend.
GEORGIA TODAY sat down with the ‘founding fathers’ of the bar to get some exclusive information about their new establishment. One of the first questions we asked, was something our readers are definitely wondering: why the name ‘Parliament’?
“Well, we thought it would be as ironic as it is symbolic to give the political bar that name,” Luka and Giorgi told us. “Parliament is the place where politicians should work out the issues bothering people for the improvement of the country. In our legislative body of government, that is hardly the case. We thought it would only be fair to give people a version of parliament which actually belongs to them and functions to build ideas that will serve the country.”
“We hope our establishment will be a step forward to developing Georgia’s political culture,” said Sergi. “Our political bar aims to be the place where new answers to old questions form new questions, urging us to find new solutions. Through our discussions and lectures, we hope to reach consensus or learn how to yield when necessary.”
From now on, the Parliament Political Bar will be offering interesting events at least twice a week.
By Nini Dakhundaridze