On the further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia

B100118/2025

European Parliament resolution on the further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia

(2025/2522(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia,

–having regard to Georgia’s status as an EU candidate country,

–having regard to the statement of 1 December 2024 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos on Georgia’s decision to halt EU accession negotiations and to reject EU financial support until 2028,

–having regard to the European Council conclusions of 19 December 2024,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas the situation in Georgia has drastically worsened following the fraudulent parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024, which were condemned by the international community for severe vote manipulation, widespread voter intimidation and systemic suppression of democratic opposition, marking an alarming democratic regression;

B.whereas the presidential election in Georgia on 14 December 2024 was the first to be conducted under the 2017 constitutional amendments; whereas the Georgian Dream party nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili as the sole candidate, and he was subsequently elected with 224 out of the 225 votes cast, in the absence of alternative candidates;

C.whereas the Georgian Dream authorities, in a direct violation of the democratic will of its citizens, unilaterally suspended EU accession talks until 2028, disregarding the country’s constitutional commitment to European integration and effectively undermining Georgia’s sovereign Euro-Atlantic aspirations;

D.whereas the ruling Georgian Dream authorities prioritise partnerships with China and Iran and share many similar views with the Russian Government, despite their publicly declared Euro-Atlantic aspirations;

E.whereas all across Georgia, massive public demonstrations erupted in response to the decision of the Georgian Dream authorities and in protest against democratic backsliding and actions aimed at limiting fundamental freedoms;

F.whereas on 5 February 2025, the Georgian Dream parliament terminated the mandates of 49 members of parliament from the Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia and the United National Movement parties, effectively leaving the parliament with only 101 of 150 members;

G.whereas new legislation that came into effect in Georgia on 30 December 2024 imposes further arbitrary restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly;

H.whereas journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who was arrested on 12 January 2025 and faces four to seven years in prison for slapping a police officer, has been on hunger strike in solidarity with all political prisoners in Georgia;

I.whereas the Georgian Dream authorities have used excessive force and arbitrary detentions against peaceful protesters; whereas on 2 February 2025, Georgian security forces violently suppressed peaceful demonstrations in Tbilisi, leading to the arrest of over 30 protesters, including leaders of the Georgian democratic political forces Nika Melia, Giorgi Ugulava and Elene Khoshtaria;

J.whereas on 27 January 2025, the Council decided to suspend parts of the EU‑Georgia visa facilitation agreement for Georgian diplomats and officials, while ordinary Georgian citizens will continue to benefit from the visa exemption;

K.whereas the United States suspended the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership in response to the Georgian Government’s democratic backsliding and it imposed personal sanctions on Georgian Dream officials, as well as on oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili;

L.whereas on 29 January 2025, the Republic of Georgia withdrew its delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe after the latter demanded new parliamentary elections, the release of political prisoners and accountability for perpetrators of violence;

M.whereas Georgian Dream officials continue to employ anti-European and pro-Russian rhetoric, falsely accusing the Georgian democratic political forces, independent media and civil society of acting as ‘foreign agents’ while attempting to criminalise pro-European activism; whereas Georgian Dream’s narrative is that the West is trying to push Georgia back into a war with Russia;

N.whereas Mikheil Saakashvili, who served as President of Georgia from 2004 until 2013 and is leader of the largest pro-Western political party, has been detained since October 2022, has been mistreated in prison and subjected to humiliating treatment during court hearings – actions that represent a clear and present threat to the integrity of Georgia’s democratic credentials; whereas repeated refusals to permit visits to him in prison have deprived him of essential access to legal counsel and family support, further exacerbating the inhumane conditions of his detention;

1.Strongly condemns the Georgian Dream authorities’ anti-democratic actions, including its unilateral and unconstitutional decision to halt Georgia’s EU accession process until 2028, which directly contradicts the will of the Georgian people and serves the interests of external authoritarian actors; expresses deep regret that the ruling Georgian Dream party has abandoned its path toward European integration and NATO membership, while increasing Georgia’s vulnerability to external influence, particularly from the Kremlin; warns that Georgia’s continued backsliding on democratic governance, the rule of law and human rights will have direct and severe consequences on its EU accession prospects, including the suspension of financial assistance under the EU’s enlargement framework;

2.Underlines that recent elections were neither free nor fair and were marred by widespread vote manipulation, including multiple voting and a lack of respect for the secret ballot, voter intimidation, vote buying and serious irregularities;

3.Deeply regrets the cancellation of 49 mandates of members of parliament, which leaves the Parliament of Georgia with no alternative political forces and is a sign of the country’s further democratic backsliding;

4.Demands immediate, free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections in Georgia, conducted under the full and transparent oversight of international bodies, including the EU, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and other democratic institutions, to restore legitimate governance and uphold the democratic aspirations of the Georgian people;

5.Strongly condemns the enactment of draconian legislation that imposes unjustified restrictions on freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly; calls on the Georgian authorities to immediately repeal these repressive laws and to release all political prisoners, including journalist Mzia Amaglobeli;

6.Is alarmed by the continuous and highly disturbing cases of intimidation and violence against the Georgian democratic political forces, as well as by the threats of further repression voiced by Georgian Dream leadership, including oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, to outlaw the democratic pro-Western opposition and silence dissent;

7.Demands an independent, transparent and impartial investigation into police brutality and the excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators; calls for those responsible for human rights violations, including members of law enforcement and government officials ordering repression, to be held fully accountable;

8.Stands in full solidarity with the Georgian people and Georgia’s vibrant civil society, which has traditionally played a very active and central role in bringing the country closer to the West, promoting democratisation and pushing for Euro-Atlantic integration in line with the desires of the Georgian people; deplores, in this regard, the growing anti-Western and hostile rhetoric of the Georgian Dream party’s representatives towards Georgia’s strategic Western partners, including the United States and the EU, including its MEPs and officials, and Georgian Dream’s promotion of Russian disinformation and manipulation;

9.Is alarmed by the Georgian Dream government’s clear alignment with Kremlin-backed narratives, its growing economic and political ties with Russia, and its deliberate obstruction of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, which fundamentally contradicts the country’s constitutional and strategic priorities; condemns the strengthening of trade ties with Russia and the refusal to impose sanctions on Moscow, despite its creeping occupation of Georgian territory and its aggression against Ukraine;

10.Welcomes the strong stance taken by international partners, including the United States, in condemning the Georgian Dream authorities’ anti-democratic actions and the suspension of key bilateral partnerships, such as the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership;

11.Calls on the Commission to step up and broaden its support for civil society in Georgia, especially in the light of the increasingly draconian measures being imposed on the Georgian people;

12.Reiterates its call on the Council and the EU’s democratic partners to impose immediate and targeted personal sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili and to freeze all his assets within the EU for his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia and for acting against the country’s constitutionally declared interests, including efforts to restore Russia’s sphere of influence over the country;

13.Calls for the EU and its Member States to impose personal sanctions on the officials and political leaders in Georgia who are responsible for the democratic backsliding, including Irakli Kobakhidze, Mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze, Shalva Papuashvili and Irakli Garibashvili, Chair of the Georgian Dream party, and to extend these sanctions to judges passing politically motivated sentences;

14.Welcomes travel bans on Georgian officials imposed by the EU, but underlines that suspending the visa liberalisation agreement with Georgia should be considered only after personal sanctions against members of the ruling party and dominant oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili are put in place;

15.Supports the immediate suspension of all high-level diplomatic engagements with the Georgian Government until tangible democratic reforms are implemented, while maintaining and expanding direct EU support for Georgia’s civil society, independent media and pro-democratic opposition forces;

16.Urges the Council to formally assess the implications of Georgia’s democratic decline on its EU candidate status and to make future accession talks conditional on the full restoration of democratic governance, media freedom and the rule of law;

17.Calls for the suspension of all preferential trade agreements and financial assistance to the Georgian Government if it continues its authoritarian trajectory, ensuring that EU support is exclusively directed towards the Georgian people and civil society actors committed to democratic values;

18.Calls on all pro-democratic political parties that have received support from the Georgian electorate to formalise their coordination and to create a unified structure that would represent the pro-European aspirations of the Georgian people domestically and abroad;

19.Strongly reiterates its urgent demand for the immediate and unconditional release of former President Mikheil Saakashvili on humanitarian grounds so he can seek medical treatment abroad; emphasises that the Georgian Dream authorities bear 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;

20.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the EU Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the de facto President, Government and Parliament of Georgia.