Parliament says Georgia’s democracy is at risk

• Repressive laws are stifling media, civil society and the LGBTQ+ community

• Georgia must roll back undemocratic legislation in order to make progress in its relations with the EU

• MEPs call for the sanctioning of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili and those undermining Georgia’s democracy

In a resolution adopted on Wednesday, MEPs say current democratic backsliding in Georgia effectively puts the country’s integration with the EU on hold.

Despite Georgia being granted EU candidate status in December 2023, Parliament’s resolution highlights how the ruling Georgian Dream party, which is on course to win the upcoming parliamentary elections on 26 October, has pushed an increasingly authoritarian agenda, including on media freedom and LGBTQ+ rights. Coupled with changes to the country’s electoral legislation and growing anti-EU rhetoric, MEPs say these laws violate the freedom of expression, censor media, impose restrictions on critical voices in civil society and the NGO sector and discriminate against vulnerable people. They also make clear that unless the legislation is rescinded, progress cannot be made in Georgia’s relations with the EU.

Georgian government officials are fuelling a climate of hatred

MEPs want a thorough investigation of police brutality against the peaceful protestors who took to the streets in the spring of 2024 to protest against Georgian Dream’s Moscow-style law declaring Western-funded media outlets and non-governmental organisations as “foreign agents”. They are also worried by the climate of hatred and intimidation fuelled by statements by representatives of the Georgian government and political leaders, as well as by the government’s attacks on political pluralism. The resolution condemns comments by oligarch and Georgian Dream ‘honorary chairman’ Bidzina Ivanishvili and leading figures of the government threatening to ban opposition parties and referring to the opposition as a “criminal political force”.

Georgia’s integration into the EU effectively put on hold

Against the backdrop of this continuing decline of Georgia’s democracy, Parliament demands the freezing of all EU funding provided to the Georgian government until the undemocratic laws are repealed. Any future funding of the Georgian government can only be disbursed under strict conditions, MEPs argue.

They recall that the European Council of 14 and 15 December 2023 granted Georgia candidate country status on the understanding that steps set out in the European Commission recommendation of 8 November 2023 would be taken. The Georgian government’s current authoritarian trajectory, they say, clearly goes against this ambition and has effectively put on hold Georgia’s integration with the EU.

MEPs believe the upcoming parliamentary elections will be decisive in determining Georgia’s future democratic development and geopolitical choice, as well as its ability to make progress on its EU member state candidacy. They urge the Georgian authorities to ensure that the elections adhere to the highest international standards and to respect the will and free choice of the Georgian people.

Sanctions on those who threaten Georgia’s democracy

The resolution calls for the EU and its member states to hold to account and impose personal sanctions on all those responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia, including Bidzina Ivanishvili.

The text was adopted by 495 votes in favour, 73 against and 86 abstentions.