Changes from resolution motion to resolution motion joint

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Changed8.9. HighlightsExpresses theconcern worryingabout the fact that many recent legislative decisionsproposals ofadopted by the Georgian Dream majority in the Georgian Parliament betray the aspirations of the large majority of the Georgian people to live in a democratic society, continue democratic and rule of law reforms, pursue close cooperation with Euro-Atlantic partners and commit to a path towards EU membership;

10. Emphasises that the rights to freedom of expression and assembly and to peaceful protest are fundamental freedoms and must be respected under all circumstances, particularly in a country aspiring to join the EU;

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Added11. Underlines that the public watchdog role exercised by civil society and independent media is essential to a democratic society and crucial in advancing EU accession-related reforms and therefore calls on the Georgian authorities to do their utmost to guarantee an enabling environment in which civil society and independent media can thrive;

12. Recalls that the European Council of 14 and 15 December 2023 granted Georgia candidate country status on the understanding that the relevant steps set out in the Commission recommendation of 8 November 2023 would be taken; stresses that recently adopted legislation clearly goes against this ambition and has effectively put on hold Georgia’s integration into the EU;

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Removed11. Urges the Georgian Government to return to its European path, uphold its commitment to respect, strengthen and promote democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and genuinely engage in the full implementation of the steps required to fulfil the conditions for candidate country status and EU membership, in a spirit of engagement and cooperation with Georgia’s civil society and political opposition;

Added13. Reiterates its call on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement and the President of the Commission to remind the Georgian Government of the commitments it made and the values and principles it subscribed to when it applied for EU membership;

14. Reiterates the tangible opportunities that Georgia would take advantage of once the accession negotiations begin, such as pre-accession assistance that would improve the standard of living of Georgian citizens, as well as support the institutions, infrastructure and social services;

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Removed13. Expresses deep concern about the increased influence of Russia in Georgia, the increased number of Russian citizens residing in Georgia, increased trade ties with Russia, and Georgia’s willingness to pursue reconciliation with Russia despite Russia’s war in Ukraine and its occupation of a fifth of Georgian sovereign territory; calls on the Government of Georgia to impose sanctions against Russia in response to its war of aggression against Ukraine;

Added15. Urges the Georgian authorities to ensure that the upcoming parliamentary elections in October 2024 adhere to the highest international standards, guaranteeing a transparent, free and fair process that reflects the democratic will of the people; presses for the abolition of the ingrained practice of misusing public resources and administrative capacity for the benefit of the ruling party; urges the Georgian authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure that all respected civil society organisations involved in election observation can observe these elections without hindrance or interference in their work;

Removed14. Reiterates its call on the Georgian authorities to release former President Mikheil Saakashvili from prison;

Added16. Shares the concerns raised by the Venice Commission about the adoption of amendments to the legal framework for elections in Georgia and the Electoral Code, agreeing that these changes to the Electoral Code will have a major impact on the stakeholders’ perceptions of and trust in the impartiality and fairness of the election administration;

Removed15. Calls on the Georgian Bureau of Investigation to conduct a thorough investigation of police brutality during the spring protests against the law on ‘transparency of foreign influence’ in Georgia;

Added17. Expresses alarm at the decision to open only a limited number of polling stations abroad, despite numerous requests from the Georgian diaspora, thereby depriving the majority of Georgians living abroad of the right to vote; is deeply concerned by reports that the Government of Georgia is creating obstacles for the coalition of 30 NGOs and Transparency International Georgia in their efforts to conduct the ‘Go Out and Vote’ campaign; considers these obstacles to be an attempt to undermine democracy in the country;

Added18. Notes that, amid significant international backlash questioning the legitimacy of the upcoming elections, the Prime Minister of Georgia ‘recommended’ that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) revoke its decision of 24 September 2024 designating Transparency International Georgia as having ‘declared electoral goals’, and the ACB did revoke it on 2 October 2024; recalls that the initial decision, if enforced and not revoked, would deprive one of Georgia’s leading civil society organisations of access to foreign funding, severely hindering its ability to continue operations, including election observation, as well as raise concerns about the political neutrality of the ACB;

Added19. Deplores the use by Georgian Dream of violent images of the war in Ukraine as a means of manipulating opinions and spreading disinformation and pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian sentiment in its campaign ahead of the October 2024 elections;

Added20. Expects Georgian Dream to respect the will and free choice of the Georgian people in the upcoming parliamentary elections and ensure a peaceful transfer of power; demands that Georgian Dream and its leaders immediately stop the violence, intimidation, hate speech, persecution and repression that it is committing against the opposition, civil society and independent media;

Added21. Strongly believes that the upcoming elections will be decisive in determining Georgia’s future democratic development and geopolitical choice, as well its ability to make progress with its EU member state candidacy; recognises that it is still possible to consolidate Georgia’s democratic future as an EU candidate country with a young, engaged generation of leaders, which was exemplified by the spontaneous protests against the foreign agent law that took place during 2024;

Added22. Expresses deep concern about the increased influence of Russia in Georgia, including increased immigration from Russia, increased trade ties with Russia and Georgia’s willingness to pursue reconciliation with Russia despite Russia’s war in Ukraine and its occupation of a fifth of Georgian sovereign territory; calls on the Government of Georgia to impose sanctions against Russia in response to its war of aggression against Ukraine, continue its previous policy of non-recognition of the occupied territories and honour its commitment to enforce effective measures to avoid the circumvention of European sanctions; encourages the Government of Georgia to align fully with the EU’s foreign policy and the EU’s strategy towards Russia;

Added23. Strongly reiterates its urgent demand for the immediate and unconditional release of former President Mikheil Saakashvili on humanitarian grounds for the purpose of seeking medical treatment abroad; emphasises that the Georgian Government bears full and undeniable responsibility for the life, health, safety and well-being of former President Mikheil Saakashvili and must be held fully accountable for any harm that befalls him;

Added24. Notes that the Georgian Government has further worsened access to public information, including Soviet-era archives, using the EU General Data Protection Regulation to falsely justify draconian restrictions to archive access, and that some of Georgia’s most important Soviet-era archives (including the archives of the former KGB and the former Central Committee of the Communist Party) have been completely closed since October 2023 without any explanation; highlights Russia’s manipulation and falsification of history, including Soviet history, as part of its war of aggression against Ukraine and its military threats against other countries; regrets the growing cult of Stalin and the related increase in Soviet nostalgia in Georgia, supported by the ruling government, which underscores its closer alignment with Russia;

25. 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 the President, Government and Parliament of Georgia.