**European Parliament Member Warns of Authoritarian Rule in Georgia**
A member of the European Parliament has expressed concern about the direction of politics in Georgia. Rihards Kols wrote on social media: “Legislative measures in Georgia are mirroring tactics directly from the Kremlin‘s playbook – this is a dangerous course.”
Kols met with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and other friends of Georgia. They discussed the situation in the country, where power is being consolidated by the regime. This has led to a move towards authoritarian rule.
**Tactics Straight From the Kremlin**
The legislative measures in question aim to weaken the civil service and fill it with loyalists. They also target the families of people who have been involved in protests. Kols sees this as similar to tactics used by the Kremlin.
Kols is worried that if these actions continue, they will lead to repressive governance. He believes it would be hard to reverse this once entrenched.
**Urging Action**
Kols urged the President and parliamentarians to take action against this trajectory. He wants them to work together to counter the move towards authoritarian rule.