What changed

European Parliament resolution on the democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia

P10_TA(2024)0017

(2024/2822(RSP))

The democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia

PE764.088

European Parliament resolution of 9 October 2024 on the democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia (2024/2822(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia,

– having regard to the statement by the High Representative and the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement of 17April17 April 2024 on the adoption of the ‘transparency of foreign influence’ law,

– having regard to the statement by the High Representative of 18 September 2024 on the Georgian law on ‘family values and protection of minors’ ,minors’,

– having regard to the statement by the European External Action Service Spokesperson of 4 April 2024 on the draft law on ‘transparency of foreign influence’,

5. Reiterates its calls on the Commission to promptly assess how Georgia’s ‘transparency of foreign influence’ and ‘family values and protection of minors’ laws, its abolition of gender quotas and other changes in its electoral legislation, the implementation of the Venice Commission’s recommendations in general and the conduct of the elections in line with accepted international standards, affect Georgia’s continuous fulfilment of the visa liberalisation benchmarks, in particular the fundamental rights benchmark, which is a crucial component of the EU visa liberalisation policy;

6. Reiterates its unwavering support for the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations and their wish to live in a prosperous country, free from corruption, that fully respects fundamental freedoms, protects human rights and guarantees an open society and independent media; underlines that the decision to grant Georgia EU candidate country status was motivated by the wish to acknowledge the achievements and democratic efforts of Georgia’s civil society, as well as the overwhelming support for EU accession among its citizens, with over 80 % of the Georgian people consistently in favour; appreciates the efforts made by Georgia’s President Salome Zourabishvili to return Georgia to the democratic and pro-European path of development;development and strongly condemns the Georgian Dream party’s effort to silence her through impeachment procedures on unwarranted grounds;

7. Deplores the personal role played by Georgia’s oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who returned to active politics on 30 December 2023 when he became ‘honorary chairman’ of the Georgian Dream party, in the current political crisis and in yet another attempt to undermine the Euro-Atlantic orientation of the country in favour of pivoting towards Russia; reiterates its call on the Council and the EU’s democratic partners to impose immediate and targeted personal sanctions on Ivanishvili for his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia;Georgia as well as other activities benefiting the Russian Federation;

8. Calls for the EU and its Member States to hold to account and impose personal sanctions on all those responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia, who are complicit in the violence committed against political opponents and peaceful protesters and who spread anti-Western disinformation; welcomes the personal sanctions imposed by the US on Georgian Dream officials;