Events in Georgia are in the spotlight in Brussels this week with European leaders putting the political situation in Tbilisi on their agenda during the EU Council meeting for Heads of Government on Thursday (19 December). On Wednesday (18 December), the President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili delivered a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The EU Council Conclusions released on Thursday noted that “all acts of violence” against protesters, opposition politicians and journalists “must be investigated” and those responsible held accountable. They called on the Georgian authorities to respect the right to freedom of assembly and of expression, and refrain from using force.
The Council reaffirmed the Union’s readiness to support the Georgian people on their European path. At the same time, it reiterated the EU’s serious concern regarding the course of action taken by the Georgian government, including the adoption of the law on transparency of foreign influence, as well as other legislation which runs counter to the values and principles upon which the EU is founded and which represent backsliding on the steps set out in the Commission’s recommendation for candidate status.
EU leaders also called on the Georgian authorities to urgently revert to the EU path and adopt democratic, comprehensive and sustainable reforms, in line with the core principles of European integration. The Council underlined the importance of reverting to the implementation of the nine steps set in the 2023 Enlargement communication of the Commission. They also stated that intimidations, violence and discrimination against Georgia’s civil society representatives, political leaders, civil activists and journalists in Georgia need to cease. The Council called on Georgia to ensure that its vibrant civil society is able to function without restrictions, and actively, inclusively and meaningfully engage in the policymaking process.
The European Union is preparing to impose sanctions such as restrictions for Georgian holders of diplomatic passports but so far there is a lack of consensus on the extent of sanctions with Baltic countries showing enthusiasm while Hungary and Slovakia are expressing reservations.
Meanwhile, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili delivered a speech in the European Parliament on Wednesday that was met with a standing ovation. In her address to MEPs, President Zourabichvili, who ends her mandate on 29 December, discussed the protest movement sweeping Georgia since the disputed parliamentary elections in October: “In some ways, we feel like we are back in 1921”, she said, “as scenes are repeating themselves”. “That is what explains the courage and determination with which the Georgian people are reacting today. They see what is happening as a deposition of their freedom, their future and in some ways their independence”.
She emphasised, however, that this is a very peaceful movement, not a revolutionary one. “We only ask for two things: give us our voice back, because of the stolen elections, and give us our European future back,” through new elections.
President Zourabichvili described Georgia as a country where the Georgian people are in one corner and the repressive apparatus of one party in the other. She also outlined how in recent years Georgia has been sliding down a more and more authoritarian trajectory, before turning towards MEPs with a warning: “Europe has so far only met the challenge halfway. It has been slow to wake up and slow to react. Much more could and should be done.”
President Zourabichvili called on Europe and the West to provide sustained political backing to Georgia’s democratic voices, support for justice and the release of political prisoners, and firmly backing calls for new elections. President Zourabichvili also stressed that what is happening in Georgia is about more than its democracy and its political choices - it is also about Europe and its strategic interests. If Georgia falls “under Russian control, it will touch upon everything from Black Sea security to connectivity, and Armenia’s European future. (...) The stakes will be high”.
Welcoming President Zourabichvili, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said: “When you last visited this House, we discussed your country’s progress towards joining our European family. Today, this journey is under threat. I know that there are many in Georgia today who fear for their country’s future. I speak for this entire House when I say to all Georgians who look to Europe for support and for their future: you are not alone. We see you, we hear you, we are with you. This House stands strong with Georgia in its journey towards Europe.”
