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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2026/2913(RSP))

On attempts by the ruling party Georgian Dream to ban opposition parties in Georgia

B-10-2026-0447

on behalf of the ESN Group · Rapporteur: Tomasz Froelich, Alexander Sell, Petr Bystron

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 9 Oct 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's resolution takes note of Georgian Dream's constitutional lawsuit seeking to ban several opposition parties in Georgia and sets out its position on party bans. It rejects attempts to seize power by violence, reaffirms rights to peaceful assembly, political opposition and lawful electoral challenge, and says peaceful protest, boycotts or criticism do not justify banning a party. It states that banning a party must be an exceptional last resort based on compelling evidence and strict legality, necessity and proportionality, and that only an independent impartial judiciary should hold that power. It calls on all parties and external actors not to interfere in the Constitutional Court procedure, and says the ESN party procedure and treatment of migration-critical opposition parties in Germany and other member states show a double standard.

Key points

  1. Takes note of Georgian Dream's constitutional lawsuit against United National Movement, Ahal/Coalition for Change, Lelo/Strong Georgia, Federalists and Gakharia for Georgia.
  2. Notes the continuing dispute over the electoral process and encourages all political actors to pursue their objectives through peaceful democratic means.
  3. Rejects attempts to seize power through violent means, whatever their political origin.
  4. Reaffirms the rights to peaceful assembly, political opposition and lawful electoral challenge.
  5. Stresses that peaceful protest, election boycotts or criticism of the government do not in themselves justify prohibiting a political party.
  6. Reaffirms that political pluralism is essential to democracy and that banning a party must remain an exceptional measure of last resort.
  7. Says a party ban must be based on compelling evidence and meet strict requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality.
  8. Considers that only an independent impartial judiciary should have the power to ban a political party.
  9. Calls on all political parties and external actors to refrain from interfering in the procedure before the Constitutional Court.
  10. Considers the procedure against the ESN party and the lack of comparable concerns about migration-critical opposition parties in Germany and other member states to be a double standard.
  11. Says that double standard undermines the credibility of the EU institutions when defending democratic pluralism in third countries.

Who is affected

  • Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party, whose constitutional lawsuit against opposition parties is taken note of.
  • The opposition parties named in the lawsuit: United National Movement, Ahal/Coalition for Change, Lelo/Strong Georgia, Federalists and Gakharia for Georgia.
  • All political parties and external actors, asked not to interfere in the Constitutional Court procedure.
  • The European Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) political party, whose deregistration and defunding process Parliament backed in July 2026.
  • EU institutions, whose credibility in defending democratic pluralism in third countries the resolution says is undermined.

Figures and deadlines

  • The 2025 Chandler Good Government index ranks Georgia 26th in the world for its judicial system, government transparency and the rule of law.
  • Georgia outranks 14 EU Member States in that index.
  • In July 2026 the European Parliament backed the process to deregister and defund the ESN political party.