Menu
Latest
Menu
Latest
News

Charles Michel calls parties to “step up their efforts” to end to Georgia’s political crisis

1 March 2021

Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, has called for an end to the political crisis in Georgia during a press conference with the country’s president, Salome Zurabishvili. He referred to the crisis as “of great concern to the European Union”, asking all parties to “step up their efforts to de-escalate the situation and come together to find common ground”.

Opposition supporters marched in Tbilisi last week, protesting the arrest of the leader of the largest opposition party, the United National Movement’s Nika Melia. The authorities have charged Melia with instigating violence at protests in 2019; however, his supporters claim that the charges are politically motivated. Opposition politicians continue to boycott parliament and call for fresh elections, disputing the legitimacy of the parliamentary elections in October that were won by the Georgian Dream party.

During the press conference, Michel expressed an understanding of the difficulties that the crisis presents, but faith that the country was capable of finding a solution:

“I realise that political debate within a democratic framework requires leadership as well as courage on the part of all parties involved in the political debate. I am convinced that Georgia has the assets to overcome the current challenges and to consolidate the foundations of its democracy.” 

The President of the European Council also met with the new Georgian prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili (pictured), and stated his intention to speak with both the opposition leaders and the speaker of the Georgian parliament.

Michel is in Georgia this week as part of a trip which includes Moldova and Ukraine, to show the EU’s commitment to the states of its Eastern Partnership initiative. In his statement, Michel expressed the EU's support for Georgian sovereignty and territorial integrity in respect of its separatist territories, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, referring to the bloc as being “firmly on [Georgia’s] side”. Whilst in Georgia, Michel visited the Administrative Boundary Line in the village of Khurvaleti in Georgia's Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia).

Tomorrow (2 March), the President of the European Council will visit Ukraine.

source: commonspace.eu with the press service of the president of the European Council
photo: Charles Michel greets the Georgian prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili; government of Georgia press office.

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Mayhem in Baluchistan as separatist insurgents attack government targets across the Pakistani province
Trending

Mayhem in Baluchistan as separatist insurgents attack government targets across the Pakistani province

1 February 2026
There was violence and mayhem across the Pakistani Indian Ocean province of Baluchistan on Friday and Saturday (30-31 January), as separatist insurgents attacked multiple government targets, in a co-ordinated attack in a number of towns and cities. Security forces conducted a large-scale counter-terrorism operation across Baluchistan following a series of coordinated attacks targeting multiple districts, killing civilians and security personnel, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pakistani government. "The operation, conducted over two days, resulted in the deaths of 133 insurgents, including suicide bombers, while 15 security personnel were killed during intense engagements", according to the government source. The attacks took place in Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni. "The assaults were aimed at destabilising peace in the province and undermining development by targeting law enforcement agencies and innocent civilians", the Pakistani government said.  The Pakistani government said the attacks were launched by “Indian sponsored Fitna al Hindustan,” a reference to the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), saying intelligence reports confirmed the violence was orchestrated and directed by militant leaders operating from outside Pakistan, who were in direct communication with attackers during the assaults. The BLA also issued a statement earlier in the day, saying it had launched what it called “Operation Herof 2.0” and claiming responsibility for attacks in multiple locations. Pakistani officials describe BLA militants as Indian proxies, a charge New Delhi denies.

Popular

Editor's choice
Interview
Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov
Trending

Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

15 January 2026
Today, commonspace.eu starts a new regular weekly series. THURSDAY INTERVIEW, conducted by Lauri Nikulainen, will host  persons who are thinkers, opinion shapers, and implementors in their countries and spheres. We start the series with an interview with Murad Muradov, a leading person in Azerbaijan's think tank community. He is also the first co-chair of the Action Committee for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue. Last September he made history by being the first Azerbaijani civil society activist to visit Armenia after the 44 day war, and the start of the peace process. Speaking about this visit Murad Muradov said: "My experience was largely positive. My negative expectations luckily didn’t play out. The discussions were respectful, the panel format bringing together experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey was particularly valuable during the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan, and media coverage, while varied in tone, remained largely constructive. Some media outlets though attempted to represent me as more of a government mouthpiece than an independent expert, which was totally misleading.  Overall, I see these initiatives as important steps in rebuilding trust and normalising professional engagement. The fact that soon a larger Azerbaijani civil society visits to Armenia followed, reinforces the sense that this process is moving in the right direction." (click the image to read the interview in full)
Murad Muradov
Lauri Nikulainen interviews Murad Muradov