Europe ‘deeply' concerned by Georgia’s democratic backsliding, urges Tbilisi to reverse course

The Foreign Ministers of European countries have released a joint statement on recent developments in Georgia, expressing deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the South Caucasian country. The ruling Georgian Dream party issued a sharp condemnation of the joint statement.

The joint statement was issued by the the Foreign Ministers of of Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the High Representative of the European Union.

European nations issued the statement following a 9 July report by the European Parliament, which emphasized that the ruling Georgian Dream party had 'illicitly captured state institutions and dismantled democratic safeguards.'

The report noted that the October 2024 parliamentary elections marked a clear turning point toward authoritarianism in the EU candidate country.

"Georgia has become a brutal dictatorship. Georgia is an example of how a country can be captured by Russian interests from within without a shot being fired. But the Georgian people are not giving up, they continue protesting every day, for more than 200 days, despite violent repression. The EU and its member states must take action before it is too late," said rapporteur Rasa Juknevičienė (EPP, Lithuania). 

Parliament will continue to not recognise Georgia’s current one-party parliament and president and call on the EU and member states to impose bilateral and coordinated personal sanctions against key Georgian Dream officials and those responsible for the country’s democratic backsliding. Members of parliament also called for an immediate audit of the EU’s policy towards Georgia and for the European Commission to review the implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.

The Foreign Ministers, in their statement, have  'strongly' condemned the arrests of opposition politicians, the detentions and sentencing of protest participants, and the adoption of new repressive laws that suppress freedom of speech and dismantle civil society and independent media.

It stated that 'increasing repression of other Georgian authorities` critics' contributes to dismantling of democracy in Georgia and rapid transformation towards an authoritarian system.

"The course of political repression carried out by the Georgian authorities has led, in reaction, to a considerable downgrading of our relationship, including reduction of assistance and cooperation with Georgian authorities. Today, the authoritarian and anti-European course of the Georgian authorities further threatens Georgia’s democratic achievements and relations with our countries," European Foreign Ministers stated in their statement. 

Georgian Dream called the criticism “another blatant and unfair attack on the Georgian people and Georgian democracy.”

The ruling party dismissed the European Parliament’s report as 'absurd,' labeled the Foreign Ministers’ statement as 'disinformation,' and claimed that their sanctions and attacks on the Georgian people come as no surprise.

The party concludes by expressing “readiness to cooperate with any country that seeks fair partnership with Georgia,” adding: “It is important to understand that just as Georgia needs Europe, the European Union also needs Georgia.”

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