Many Georgians fear if the ruling 'Georgian Dream' party is re-elected, it could kill off aspirations to EU membership entirely.
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00:00Georgia is heading to the polls on Saturday in a parliamentary election many citizens
00:07believe will be the most crucial vote of their lifetimes.
00:11The election will pit a coalition of opposition parties against the ruling Georgian dream,
00:16which many fear is dragging the nation towards authoritarianism and away from the European
00:21Union.
00:22Brussels put Georgia's bid for entry to the EU on hold indefinitely in August after
00:28the ruling government passed a Russian law cracking down on freedom of speech earlier
00:33this year.
00:34Georgian Dream argue it needed to curb harmful foreign actors trying to destabilise the country.
00:40But journalists and activists say its true goal is to stigmatise them and restrict debate
00:46before the election.
00:49Many Georgians fear that if the Georgian Dream party is re-elected, hopes of joining the
00:53EU could be permanently extinguished.