Source: European Parliament
B10‑0112/2025
European Parliament resolution on the further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia, in particular that of 28 November 2024 on Georgia’s worsening democratic crisis following the recent parliamentary elections and alleged electoral fraud[1],
– having regard to the statement of preliminary findings and conclusions of the international election observation mission led by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on the parliamentary elections held in Georgia on 26 October 2024 and to the statement by the Head of the European Parliament’s election observation delegation,
– having regard to the statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, of 29 October 2024 on the latest developments following the parliamentary elections in Georgia, and to the joint statement by High Representative Borrell and the Commission of 27 October 2024 on the parliamentary elections in Georgia,
– having regard to the statement by the Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European External Action Service of 10 December 2024 on the developments in Georgia,
– having regard to the joint statement by the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, the Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, the Standing Rapporteur for Georgia and the Chair of the European Parliament Election Observation Mission for the 2024 parliamentary elections in Georgia of 16 January 2025 condemning the violence against political opponents,
– having regard to Georgia’s application for EU membership of March 2022 and to the European Council conclusions of 15 December 2023 granting Georgia candidate status,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 30 October 2024 entitled ‘2024 Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2024)0690), which includes the first progress report on Georgia,
– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas parliamentary elections were held in Georgia on 26 October 2024 and were followed by protests against serious irregularities, such as voter intimidation, vote buying and alleged foreign interference, as well as contestations of the outcome;
B. whereas the Georgian people have been standing up for their country’s democratic and European aspirations and for the protection of their fundamental freedoms and democratic rights since the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024;
C. whereas the Georgian authorities have attempted to crack down on the legitimate protests by using brutal police violence against peaceful protesters, political opponents and media representatives, leading to reports of hundreds of individuals being arbitrarily detained or subjected to violence and ill-treatment, with many requiring urgent medical care; whereas several leaders of political opposition parties have been detained, such as Nika Melia, or physically attacked, such as Giorgi Gakharia, in what appears to be a deliberate strategy to silence prominent opposition figures;
D. whereas on 28 January 2025 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe suspended some of the Georgian delegation’s rights and announced that it would reconsider the country’s credentials in April 2025 in the light of the progress achieved on, inter alia, ending police brutality and human rights abuses with immediate effect, releasing political prisoners and organising new genuinely democratic parliamentary elections, administered by politically independent state institutions and held under strict international monitoring;
1. Urges the Georgian Government to cease its repression against peaceful protesters, political opponents and media representatives, to immediately release all arbitrarily detained persons, including Mzia Amaghlobeli, who is on hunger strike and faces severe health problems, to investigate the reports from civil society organisations and the Public Defender of Georgia that indicate that intentional police violence is taking place and to hold to account the perpetrators of these acts, as well as those ultimately responsible for them;
2. Underlines that Georgia’s contested government is currently violating fundamental freedoms, basic human rights and the core international obligations of the country, thereby undermining decades of democratic reforms driven by the country’s political class and civil society;
3. Reiterates its condemnation of the fact that the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024 did not respect international electoral standards, nor Georgia’s commitments as a member of the OSCE to carry out democratic elections; notes the failure of the Georgian authorities to address the concerns about the integrity of the process and the results of the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024, which has led to all opposition members relinquishing their seats or boycotting the opening session of the new parliament;
4. Emphasises that it will not recognise the new parliament as a democratically elected parliament that adequately reflects the pluralist political landscape and that represents the will of the Georgian people in its entirety; reiterates its call for a rerun of the parliamentary elections within a year, with the process conducted in an improved electoral environment by an independent and impartial election administration, under diligent international observation;
5. Calls for the EU and the Member States and their national parliaments to refrain from holding any meetings with members of the illegitimate Georgian Parliament, as well as with government officials and diplomats until new parliamentary elections are held;
6. Supports the call by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for Georgia to immediately initiate an inclusive process involving all political and social actors, including the ruling party, the opposition and civil society, to urgently address the deficiencies and shortcomings noted during the recent parliamentary elections and to create an electoral environment conducive to new genuinely democratic elections, which should be announced in the coming months;
7. Reminds the Georgian authorities of their obligations to the people of Georgia under the Georgian constitution and national and international law and in accordance with its commitments and obligations as a member of European and international organisations, conventions and treaties;
8. Reminds the Georgian authorities that respect for the principles of democracy, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and human rights form the basis of any cooperation with the EU, whether in the area of political dialogue or economic cooperation and trade; maintains the view that the measures taken so far by the EU in response to the flagrant democratic backsliding and reneging on previous commitments do not yet fully reflect the severity of the situation in Georgia and the latest developments;
9. Welcomes the decision of the Foreign Affairs Council of 27 January 2025 to suspend parts of the EU-Georgia visa facilitation agreement, in particular to reintroduce visa requirements and suspend visa facilitation for Georgian diplomats and government officials, due to Georgia’s democratic backsliding and repression against peaceful protesters, political opponents and independent media representatives;
10. Points out to the Georgian authorities that the same fundamental principles on which the EU-Georgia visa facilitation agreement was concluded, as referred to in Article 2 of the agreement, namely respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, also constitute an essential element of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement and its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, which entered into force on 1 July 2016; reminds the Georgian authorities that the non-fulfilment of obligations may lead to the suspension of rights within the scope of Article 422 of the agreement; calls on the Commission to start identifying economic sectors of relevance to the oligarchic interests that support and sustain the current authoritarian rule in view of a potential future decision about restrictive measures or economic sanctions; calls on the Commission to start identifying connectivity policies that support and sustain the current authoritarian rule and to consider a suspension of such policies until a rerun of the parliamentary elections is held;
11. Urges the Georgian authorities to stop leveraging the Commission communication on the enlargement process to misinform Georgian citizens regarding the EU’s position on the democratic backsliding in Georgia; calls on the Commission to minimise communication on Georgia and the enlargement process until the rerun of the parliamentary elections;
12. Calls for the EU and its Member States to reinforce targeted sanctions against all individuals responsible for democratic backsliding and violations of electoral laws and standards and human rights in Georgia, including in particular Bidzina Ivanishvili, and to extend these sanctions to judges passing politically motivated sentences, as well as to the financial enablers and owners of regime-aligned media outlets, including Imedi TV, Post TV and Rustavi 2 TV, for their role in spreading disinformation and seeking to manipulate public discourse to sustain the current ruling party’s authoritarian rule;
13. Calls on the Commission to provide further and increased funding to independent media and civil society organisations in Georgia, in the light of the suspension of assistance from the United States Agency for International Development to Georgian civil society;
14. Reiterates its solidarity with the people of Georgia fighting for their democratic rights and the European future of their country and therefore urges the Georgian Government to reverse their current political course and return to implementing the will of the Georgian people for continued democratic reforms that would reopen the prospect of future EU membership;
15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and to the President, Government and Parliament of Georgia.