Continued democratic regression and autocratisation in Georgia

In a new report, MEPs say further EU engagement with candidate country Georgia should strictly depend on the government reversing its anti-democratic, anti-European path.

With serious continued democratic backsliding in Georgia, MEPs regret that the ruling Georgian Deam party has not taken any steps to reverse the negative trends. The report highlights that EU and member states’ engagement with the Georgian authorities should be strictly conditional on their taking tangible and verifiable steps to reverse the course of democratic regression, restrictions and fierce Russian-style anti-EU-disinformation. The text, adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday by 53 votes in favour and 14 against, with 2 abstentions, expresses full solidarity with the Georgian people, who continue their struggle for a European and democratic Georgia in the face of democratic backsliding. The report maintains, however, Parliament’s previous position regarding non-recognition of the legitimacy of Georgia's parliament and the president appointed by it.

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"Sadly, we can once again report no progress in Georgia; on the contrary, the country continues its rapid descent into authoritarian rule. The Georgian Dream authorities have intensified their repression, targeting opposition parties, independent media and civil society, while systematically dismantling democratic institutions. Political prisoners remain unlawfully detained, and the Sakharov Prize laureate Mzia Amaglobeli continues to be imprisoned without meaningful international access. The continued existence of political prisoners is fundamentally incompatible with Georgia’s obligations under the EU-Georgia Association Agreement", said rapporteur Rasa Juknevičienė (EPP, Lithuania).

"In this context, the report makes clear that any engagement with the authorities must be strictly conditional on concrete and verifiable steps to reverse this course, and reiterates the call for EU representatives to refrain from legitimising the regime through political contacts. It is therefore deeply disappointing how little EU member states have done so far in response to these developments. We must now move towards imposing coordinated EU-wide sanctions against those responsible for repression and state capture, and we count on the successor of the Hungarian government to finally lift the blockade and allow for targeted measures against Bidzina Ivanishvili and the broader Georgian Dream leadership", she continued.

Georgian Dream has further intensified the country’s trajectory towards full authoritarianism

With MEPs having long considered the Georgian parliamentary elections in October 2024 to have been rigged, they condemn Georgian Dream’s intensified trajectory towards full authoritarianism. This includes: putting in place a system of impunity for officials and institutions responsible for political repression; harassing journalists and human rights defenders; persecuting opposition figures; passing restrictive legislation targeting oppositional voices, independent media and civil society; attempting to ban opposition parties and eroding a pluralistic electoral environment; centralising control over academic institutions; with allegations of law enforcement using excessive force, torture and ill-treatment against protesters and towards detainees, including those considered political prisoners.

MEPs call on the Georgian authorities to implement independent accountability mechanisms with a view to holding perpetrators to account, improve the electoral environment, including via an independent and impartial election administration, address the issue of oligarchisation, and repeal repressive legislative acts. The report also calls on Georgia to release political prisoners, saying that the mere existence of such prisoners is incompatible with the country’s obligations under the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.

EU must impose sanctions on those responsible for the repression in Georgia

MEPs urge all EU countries to adopt coordinated EU-wide restrictive measures against all responsible politicians, officials and enablers, including the expansion of sanctions lists, comprehensive asset freezes and visa bans targeting those responsible for state capture, repression and regime-sponsored propaganda. They reiterate in particular their strong call on the EU to introduce immediate and targeted personal sanctions against Georgian Dream founder and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family members and his companies, while calling for the EU to freeze his assets and to cooperate with other jurisdictions, in particular the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the absence of any unanimity in the Council on this matter, the report urges EU member states to explore other collective mechanisms to ensure an effective and unified EU response.

Georgia's role in EU sanctions evasion

While reiterating their unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and strongly condemning Russia’s ongoing occupation of Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, MEPs further voice their concern over potential facilitation of circumvention of EU sanctions on Russia by Georgian authorities. The report calls for decisive action, including full alignment with EU restrictive measures, effective monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, and transparent cooperation with EU institutions to prevent sanctions evasion, including concerning dual-use goods, oil export, and financial flows linked to Russian and Iranian entities.

Next steps

The report will now be tabled for a vote in the European Parliament as a whole.

Background

Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December 2023. Since then, the situation in the country has continued to deteriorate dramatically, with further backsliding in democracy, human rights and rule of law due to the actions of the ruling Georgian Dream.