European Parliament Slams Georgia's Democratic Decline, Calls for Urgent Reforms and New Elections
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, June 5, 2025
The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a detailed report assessing Georgia's political trajectory between 2023 and 2024. With 55 members backing the document, 14 opposing, and four abstaining, the report underscores growing alarm in Brussels over the country's democratic regression.
The report was spearheaded by Lithuanian MEP Rasa Jukneviciene from the European People's Party, who delivered a stark presentation. She described Georgia's fall from a democratic frontrunner among EU partners to a system veering toward autocracy. Jukneviciene warned that the state had been taken over from within, citing fraudulent elections, opposition crackdowns, suppression of independent voices, and growing anti-EU sentiment fostered by officials.
Central to the report is the ruling party's decision, made on November 28, 2024, to abandon Georgia's path toward European integration. This act, according to the report, violated the constitutional pledge toward Euro-Atlantic alignment and reversed the population's clear pro-European will. The document condemns the government's failure to meet nine reform benchmarks set by the European Commission and attributes the stalled accession process to increasing authoritarian measures and the passing of laws designed to crush dissent.
The Committee offers full solidarity to the Georgian people, stressing that support for their democratic aspirations remains firm. Strong language is used to denounce attacks on protestors, journalists, and political opponents, with calls for the immediate repeal of restrictive legislation. The report demands transparent investigations into violent incidents and warns that ongoing repression may trigger conditional suspension of economic cooperation under the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.
A pointed section targets Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder and honorary chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, holding him personally accountable for political deterioration. The report proposes personal sanctions against him, his family, companies, and assets within the EU.
Further, the document refuses to recognize the results of Georgia's October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections, describing them as fraudulent. It calls the resulting legislature a "one-party parliament," fundamentally at odds with democratic pluralism. The Committee insists that early elections, held under improved conditions and monitored by independent observers, are essential to resolving the deepening constitutional crisis.
In the report, Georgia's current political leadership is referred to as "self-proclaimed." It affirms support for Salome Zourabichvili as the country's legitimate president, distancing the European Union from the authority of Mikheil Kavelashvili, described as appointed without legitimate mandate. It further calls on EU officials to avoid contact with representatives of the ruling regime until democratic norms are restored.
The report highlights the targeting of civil society groups, independent journalism, and peaceful protestors. EU institutions are urged to expand support for these sectors immediately, especially in light of the recent withdrawal of USAID support.
On foreign policy, the Committee expresses concern over Georgia's low alignment with EU positions and condemns the government's increasing cooperation with Moscow, despite Russian occupation of Georgian territory. The report highlights the suspension of Euro30 million in assistance from the European Peace Facility in 2024, with no plans for renewed support next year.
Looking forward, the report identifies upcoming local elections as a pivotal test of Georgia's democratic resilience. MEPs encourage opposition parties to unify and reflect the people's will through peaceful, lawful means. Jukneviciene concluded with a sobering message: "Strong action is needed before it is too late. Brave Georgians fighting for a European future deserve unwavering support."
