The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, called on the parties in Georgia on Monday 1 March to make efforts to defuse tensions in the country, going so far as to offer assistance.
Political polarisation was stepped up a notch with the arrest of the leader of the main opposition party, Nikanor Melia (see EUROPE 12666/21). Following the resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia (see EUROPE 12661/28), Bidzina Ivanishvili has taken charge, but opposition parties are boycotting the parliament.
“The EU calls on all parties to step up their efforts to defuse the situation and to come together to find common ground”, Mr Michel stressed at a press conference with Georgian President Salome Zurabichvili in Tbilisi, saying that the situation was of concern to the EU.
At a press conference with the Prime Minister, Mr Michel announced that he had invited the political parties to a meeting that evening and that he would propose a framework with elements to be discussed. “The time has come to move from facilitation to mediation and to re-launch political dialogue”, he said. The Prime Minister and the various opposition leaders accepted Mr Michel’s invitation.
The President of the European Council also called for “responsible” actions and rhetoric and for dialogue between opposition political parties and the government. “Political debate in a democracy requires leadership and courage on all sides”, he added, saying he was convinced that the country had the necessary assets to overcome the current challenges and consolidate the democratic base.
In particular, Mr Michel recalled that political stability reinforced by an open democracy and an efficient and independent judiciary was essential for deepening the partnership between the EU and Georgia. According to him, electoral reform requires leadership from all parties.
Before visiting the administrative demarcation line with South Ossetia, Mr Michel reiterated the EU’s firm support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Furthermore, on the same day, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced that it has agreed with Liberty Bank to extend an existing credit line for Georgian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises with an additional €2.5 million out of a total of €17.5 million. With this decision, the EIB’s total immediate response to the fight against Covid-19 in the country includes additional loans of more than €70 million and existing loans of more than €90 million for anti-Covid-19 measures. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)