On November 28 the European Parliament adopted a resolution jointly tabled by PPE, S&D, ECR, the Renew Group and Verts/ALE Group, “On Georgia’s worsening Democratic crisis following the recent parliamentary elections and alleged electoral fraud” which slams the ruling Georgian Dream for the authoritarian shift, condemns the democratic backsliding in Georgia, including as a result of the allegedly rigged elections, proposes a number of steps, such as targeted sanctions against those individuals who contribute to democratic backslide, and calls on the Georgian government to hold new, free and fair elections within one year.
The European Parliament “regrets that the political environment in Georgia indicates an authoritarian shift by the ruling party and a betrayal of the pro-European aspirations of the Georgian people.”
It notes that the months leading up to the elections” were characterized by significant attacks on democracy in Georgia” and that” during the campaign, the ruling Georgian Dream party exploited Georgian society’s natural fear of war by reiterating that it was the ‘party of peace’, claiming that the opposition would supposedly drag the country into war with Russia under orders from the West.”
Stressing actions of the GD which made the uneven playing field “even more uneven”, and that the technologies used during the elections raised concerns over transparency, voter secrecy, and a lack of independent verification, the resolution says that the election results “did not reflect the true will of the Georgian people”, citing election observers who gathered evidence of the election day manipulation, with limited observer access.
The document states that “the elections were rigged through a combination of voter intimidation, obstruction of observation, and manipulation of voter procedures, and cannot be considered as free and fair”.
The resolution “deplores the fact that Georgia, a candidate country for EU accession, held parliamentary elections on 26 October 2024 that did not respect international standards for democratic elections or its commitments as a member of the OSCE…” Noting the facts of “extensive electoral fraud” the MEPs say that they undermine the legitimacy of the results, which don’t serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people. Hence, the MEP state, “the international community should not recognise the election results”.
The EP “rejects, therefore, any recognition of the parliamentary elections and calls for them to be re-run within a year”, by an independent and impartial election administration and under diligent international observation.
The resolution also supports the call for an independent, transparent international investigation into the electoral manipulation allegations and welcomes in this context the EEAS decision to send a technical mission to Georgia.
MEPs express concern over the seizure by the Prosecutor’s Office of voter verification devices and election documentation; “coordinated dismissal by the Georgian judicial institutions of numerous election fraud and manipulation complaints and the CEC’s complete failure to investigate any of the reported election incidents”; over the significant decline in female political representation in Georgia.
The document acknowledges the Georgian President’s strong condemnation of the elections as rigged and her decision not to recognize the results, it also appreciates the efforts made by Salome Zurabishvili “to steer the country back towards a democratic and European path of development”. It also calls on the President to use her constitutional right to pardon the former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili.
The European Parliament resolution calls on EU and its Members States “to impose personal sanctions on the officials and political leaders in Georgia who are responsible for the democratic backsliding, violations of electoral laws and standards, administrative abuses and misuse of state institutions”; naming in particular Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party Kakha Kaladze, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, and chairman of the Georgian Dream party Irakli Garibashvili. The resolution calls to also extend these sanctions to judges passing politically-motivated sentences.
The resolution further emphasizes that respect for fundamental rights is vital to the EU visa liberalization benchmarks and “urges the Commission and the Council to review Georgia’s visa-free status, with the possibility of suspension.” The amendment to the resolution approved on November 28 further underlines, “that suspension of the visa liberalization agreement should be considered only after
personal sanctions against members of the ruling party and Bidzina Ivanishvili are imposed.“
The EP is alarmed by the climate of intimidation fueled by the GD government representatives and political leaders and by attacks against political pluralism, including through threats to ban opposition parties, to arrest their leaders and even ordinary supporters, and to silence dissent. It also warns the GD authorities that “any attempts to ban legally established political parties would alienate Georgia from the EU and make any move towards EU accession impossible.”
Underlining the policies implemented by the GD “are incompatible with Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration” the EP “reiterates its unwavering support for the Georgian people‘s legitimate European aspirations and their wish to live in a prosperous and democratic country…”