Deploring the fact that Georgia held parliamentary elections on Tuesday 26 October “which did not respect international standards for democratic elections or its commitments as a member of the OSCE to carry out free and fair elections” (see EUROPE 13514/4), the European Parliament is expected to call on the EU to adopt measures on Thursday 28 November.
According to the joint resolution they could adopt, MEPs will call on the EU and its Member States to impose “personal sanctions on the officials and political leaders in Georgia who are responsible for the democratic backsliding, violations of electoral laws and standards, administrative abuses and misuse of state institutions”, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and judges handing down politically-motivated sentences.
The European Parliament is expected to urge the European Commission and the EU Council to review Georgia’s visa-free status, with a possible suspension if EU standards of democratic governance and freedoms are not met.
In addition, MEPs believe that the EU should “severely” limit formal contacts with the Georgian government and parliament and use the frozen €120 million earmarked for aid to the Georgian authorities to step up support for Georgian civil society.
Parliament is also expected to welcome the decision of the European External Action Service to send a technical mission to Georgia, hoping that it will have a broad mandate “that would go beyond the limitations of the OSCE election observation framework and methodology” (see EUROPE 13527/7).
See the joint motion for a resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/ehw (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)