On Tuesday 9 March, during a debate on the political situation in Georgia, the MEPs representing the main political groups in the European Parliament expressed their support for the ongoing European mediation.
On 1 March, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, brought together the Georgian political parties in Tbilisi to attempt a mediation exercise. On 8 March, Mr Michel appointed Christian Danielsson to continue this mediation (see other news). An update will be given on progress in the discussions at the EU-Georgia Association Council on 16 March.
The Czech Republic’s Markéta Gregorová, on behalf of the Greens/EFA, while considering that the mediation initiated by Mr Michel is “a first step, a big step”, called for the European team to be given a stronger mandate. She added that the EU could help the country in its reforms, including judicial and electoral reform. For Vladimír Bilčík (EPP, Slovakia), the country could benefit from the European Parliament’s Jean Monnet Dialogue for Peace and Democracy.
The MEPs, such as the German David McAllister on behalf of the EPP, also called on the Georgian parties to reach agreement. “Political leaders must overcome this political crisis quickly and find long-term solutions together”, he said, explaining this should include an independent judiciary, power-sharing in Parliament, including the creation of an independent board of inquiry, potentially new elections, and preparations for local elections scheduled for next autumn.
“It is important that political disagreements are settled in the framework of parliamentary debate”, argued Sven Mikser (Estonia) for the S&D.
Although Georgia has long been considered the Eastern Partnership country that is most advanced towards the EU, it has been experiencing political crises for several years. “Current political events show that the crisis is deep and that it is difficult to strengthen democracy in Georgia”, said the Lithuanian MEP Petras Auštrevičius on behalf of Renew Europe. “It is time for European values to take root in a real democratic debate in Tbilisi”, said Fabio Castaldo (NI, Italy). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)