The article discusses the European Parliament’s reaction to the 2020 Georgian parliamentary elections. MEPs from various groups have expressed their concerns about the election process, with some accusing the Georgian government of authoritarianism and electoral fraud.
* German MEP David McAllister (EPP Group) stated that recent developments in Georgia have raised serious concerns about the direction of the country and the intentions of the government in Tbilisi. He called for the reported election irregularities to be investigated and addressed immediately.
* Spanish MEP Marcos Ros Sempere (S&D) expressed his belief in Georgia’s EU accession path but noted that “the government has a lot to do.” He stressed that questions about the quality and conduct of the elections must be addressed.
* French MEP Thierry Mariani (PfE Group) accused European leaders of interfering in Georgia’s internal affairs, including what he sees as calls for revolution. He called on them to stop “destabilizing” Georgia.
* Lithuanian MEP Dainius Žalimas (Renew Group) said that the EU must follow two key principles when discussing the ongoing processes in Georgia: taking into account reports of electoral fraud and the representativeness of the Georgian parliament. He urged the EU to call for an independent international investigation into the elections.
* German MEP Hans Neuhoff (Europe of Sovereign Nations Group) claimed that the Georgian elections were “properly” conducted, but his views are considered controversial.
The article also mentions that some MEPs have expressed solidarity with the Georgian government. For example:
* Slovak independent MEP Ľuboš Blaha congratulated Georgian Dream on its official victory and spoke of how his party and GD have much in common.
* Croatian MEP Davor Ivo Stier (EPP) called for more support for democratic and European forces in Georgia, but also acknowledged Russian influences in the country.
The article concludes by mentioning that the European Parliament’s reaction to the Georgian elections has been diverse, with some MEPs calling for an independent investigation into electoral fraud and others expressing solidarity with the Georgian government.