Progress and Freedom

File:კახა ოქრიაშვილი.jpg, one of the founders of Progress and Freedom]]

Progress and Freedom was founded in August 2020 by Kakha Okriashvili, a founder of PSP pharmacy and an MP elected under United National Movement's party affiliation in 2012 who then switched to Georgian Dream, and brothers Tsezar and Lasha Chocheli, with Tsezar previously serving as an MP from the now Russian-occupied Akhalgori single-mandate constituency and subsequently as governor Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region.{{cite web |url=https://civil.ge/archives/362166 |title=Georgian Dream Majoritarian MP, Businessmen Brothers Set up New Party |publisher=Civil Georgia |date=10 August 2020 }} In September 2020, the party joined the UNM-led Strength is in Unity coalition.{{Cite web|url=https://ajaratv.ge/article/64033 |title = "ძალა ერთობაშიას" პარტია "პროგრესი და თავისუფლება" შეუერთდა |publisher=Ajara TV |date=4 September 2020 }}

The coalition nominated Kakha Okriashvili and Tsezar Chokcheli as majoritarian candidates during the 2020 parliamentary election. Kakha Okriashvili received 23,666 votes (39.55%) in the #14 majoritarian constituency and took second place. Tsezar Chocheli was nominated in the #11 majoritarian constituency, where he received 17,134 votes (33.78%) and passed to the second round. He along with the rest of the opposition refused to participate in the second round, nevertheless, his name was included on the ballot paper and received 2,076 (7.47%) votes in the second round.{{Cite web|url=https://results.cec.gov.ge/#/ka-ge/election_44/dashboard|title=არჩევნების შედეგები|date=Jan 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104235435/https://results.cec.gov.ge/#/ka-ge/election_44/dashboard|archive-date=2021-01-04}}

Progress and Freedom managed to elect 3 MPs from Strength is in Unity's electoral list, however, the party joined the boycott of the Parliament over alleged election irregularities, which lasted for almost 5 months.{{cite web |url=https://www.commonspace.eu/index.php/news/georgian-opposition-decides-boycott-parliament-after-declaring-elections-illegitimate |title=Georgian opposition decides to boycott parliament after declaring elections "illegitimate". |publisher=commonspace.eu |date=3 November 2020 }}{{cite web |url=https://jam-news.net/georgia-document-nika-melia-opposition-parliament-boycott-national-movement-lelo/ |title=Opposition parties in Georgia sign joint statement renouncing their seats in parliament |publisher=JAM News |date=3 November 2020 }} On 19 April 2021, through the mediation of the president of the European Council Charles Michel, an agreement was reached between the opposition and Georgian Dream, however, Strength is in Unity decided against signing the agreement.{{cite web|access-date=2024-07-13 |date=2021-04-27 |language=ka-GE |title=ოპოზიციის დეპუტატების ნაწილი პარლამენტში შევიდა |url=https://civil.ge/ka/archives/416446 |website=Civil Georgia}} The coalition finally entered the parliament on 30 May.{{cite web |url=https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/unm-to-enter-parliament/ |title=UNM to enter Parliament |publisher=1 TV |date=30 May 2021 }}

In the 2024 parliamentary election, Progress and Freedom is running its candidates on the UNM-led Unity – National Movement political coalition's list. The party is a signatory to the Georgian Charter initiated by the president Salome Zourabichvili that sets out goals for a possible future government.{{cite web |url=https://sakartvelosambebi.ge/en/news/opposition-parties-sign-presidents-georgian-charter |title=Opposition Parties Sign President's Georgian Charter |publisher=Georgian News |date=3 June 2024 }}

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Category:Pro-European political parties in Georgia (country)

Category:Political parties established in 2020

Category:2020 establishments in Georgia (country)