United National Movement (UNM; Georgian: ერთიანი ნაციონალური მოძრაობა, romanized: ertiani natsionaluri modzraoba) also colloquially known as the Natsebi[a] is a liberal conservative political party in Georgia.

The government focused on rooting out corruption and crime, establishing a free market economy, pursuing a pro-Western foreign policy, and regaining territorial integrity.

During its second term, accusations mounted over UNM's alleged authoritarian tendencies with its detractors highlighting poor prison conditions, violent protest dispersals, and media and business intimidation as issues.

[18] Mikheil Saakashvili, the founder of United National Movement (UNM), had his start in the political party Union of Citizens of Georgia (UCG) of the president Eduard Shevardnadze.

Saakashvili, who at the same time had served as the country’s justice minister, left CUG and established the opposition National Movement party, the predecessor to UNM.

[19] At the same time, the government’s popularity drastically decreased being attributed to its inability to exert territorial control over the country, weak economic growth, and lack of development of public infrastructure.

National Movement and Burjanadze-Democrats organized mass rallies in protest of the official results demanding the government either recognize the opposition's victory or resign.

[19] Saakashvili emerged as the clear leader from the protests, with him winning an overwhelming victory in the snap 2004 presidential election, where he ran virtually uncontested.

The bigger budget allowed the government to finance spending on road repairs, repainting the façades of buildings, and the reintroduction of free medical emergency services.

Under the Shevardnadze government, Georgia already pursued free market percepts recommended by the International Monetary Fund, however, the Saakashvili administration restarted the massive privatization and accelerated all those policies.

Additionally, rapid privatization of state assets was implemented, and Georgia's economy was opened to foreign investment and global markets with few restrictions or regulations.

Tbilisi government closed the Ergneti market, enacted a so-called "humanitarian offensive" with the goal of winning over the South Ossetian people, and moved its military to the region in hopes of intimidating the Tskhinvali authorities.

In January 2005, the Georgian government presented its peace plan at OSCE conference held in Ljubljana garnering Russian support, a key player in the conflict.

[19] While Saakashvili early on enjoyed personal popularity for his youth, vigour, and international profile, allegations of human rights abuses and authoritarianism started to create an opposition movement against him.

Soon UNM started to experience defections with one of the most significant ones being Irakli Okruashvili, the Defense Minister, leaving in 2007 and founding the Movement for United Georgia party.

Okruashvili made accusations that the military had fallen to widespread corruption and that Saakashvili wanted to kill the opposition figure Badri Patarkatsishvili.

[37][41] Russia soon falsely accused the Georgian side of committing a genocide and launched a full-scale land, air, and sea invasion of Georgia, including its undisputed territory on 8 August.

[27][28] UNM suffered several defections, with Nino Burjanadze leaving the position of the speaker of the parliament and founding the opposition Democratic Movement–United Georgia party.

[citation needed] On 21 February 2012, Ivanishvili announced the formation of a coalition of the same name, together with established political parties such as Republicans, Our Georgia – Free Democrats, and National Forum, pledging to increase welfare spending and to pursue a more pragmatic approach with Russia while maintaining a pro-Western and pro-NATO foreign policy.

The Georgian Dream coalition itself was divided over the issue with some factions supporting the move, while others such as the new chairman of parliament Davit Usupashvili preferring to persecute only specific individuals suspected of crimes.

In 2018, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced him in absentia to six years in prison for ordering the beating of Valeri Gelashvili and pardoning in prior agreement the individuals tried for Sandro Girgvliani's murder.

After a stronger-than-expected performance from the opposition, Ivanishvili put together a scheme in which the debts of 600,000 Georgians would be written off and covered by his charity, in an attempt to secure Zourabichvili's victory.

Georgian Dream leader Ivanishvili said the protest was legitimate, but the situation was exploited by the opposition parties to storm the parliament building, thus the police measures were necessary to prevent a coup.

[citation needed] On September 7, Strength Is in Unity nominated former President Mikheil Saakashvili as its nominee for Prime Minister of Georgia, a controversial choice as the UNM leader was at the time in exile in Ukraine and had been convicted in absentia by Georgian courts in 2018.

[115] However, SU joined other political parties in refusing to recognize the electoral results after allegations of voter fraud surfaced, boycotting majoritarian runoffs and entering either the parliament or the Supreme Council of Adjara.

On March 1, 2021, EU Council President Charles Michel launched new negotiations between Georgian Dream and the opposition to put an end to the political crisis with SU being represented by Salome Samadashvili and Akaki Minashvili from UNM and Khatuna Samnidze from the Republican Party.

This refusal proved to be controversial in the coalition with it leading to the Republican Party leaving Strength is in Unity, along with Grigol Vashadze and Salome Samadashvili, who each signed the agreement independently.

[133][134] Riot police has been accused of consistent use of violence and torture against protestors as well as opposition political figures, including against UNM Chair Levan Khabeishvili.

It supports the strengthening of LGBT rights, legalization of soft drugs, allowing the sell of land to foreigners, and abolishing mandatory military service.

The party deems Russian actions against Georgia as imperialist attempts to preserve its sphere of influence in the South Caucasus, blocking Georgian integration into the EU and NATO.