After a series of debates about Georgia, the German Bundestag passed a resolution on October 10 entitled “A European Future For Georgia” which highlighted the country’s democratic backsliding as well as the anti-democratic acts of the current GD Government. The resolution calls for the German Federal Government take concrete actions in response.
The coalition parties SPD, Alliance 90/The Greens, and FDP (20/13222) initiated the motion. The coalition factions voted for it, while the Union faction, AfD faction, and BSW group voted no. The Left group abstained.
As stated in the resolution the authoritarian, anti-European policy of the current Georgian government deliberately puts Georgia’s European Future at risk.
The Bundestag urges the German government to “insist” on a European level “that no further progress is made in Georgia’s EU membership process” while the Foreign Agents Law is in force.
It also calls for the German government to “work” at the European Level to ensure that in the contexts of EU Integration, the Georgian Government is called upon to remove the legislation restricting rights of LGBT+ persons’ rights and the so-called “Offshore Law”.
The resolution states that the anti-LGBT legislation sought by the GD and the constitutional amendments it seeks constitute “an assault not only on LGBTQIA+ but also on freedom of speech, human rights, and a civil society free from discrimination.”
Bidzina ivanishvili, the leader of “Georgian Dream”, is also highlighted here. It is said that the goal to maintain his power is more important than Georgia’s European Future and democratic stability.
The German government has been urged to “advocate” in the spirit the European Council Conclusions on June 27, 2024, for free and fair elections in Georgia. This includes supporting international observation missions of the OSCE/ODIHR/PACE and “making the future development of relationships with Georgia dependent upon free and fair elections.”
The resolution calls for the Federal Government to “advocate at the European level that visa-free travel for the people in Georgia be maintained in spite of their government’s democratic regression as suspending this would affect the entire populace, including pro-European elements.”
Sanctions are also mentioned in the resolution. It calls on Germany to monitor the situation and “take note of any violations which could lead to targeted sanction.”
The resolution also calls upon the German government to urge Georgian leadership to end the unlawful persecution by police and prosecutors of peaceful demonstrators.
The Bundestag also says that the German government should urge Russia to respect Georgia territorial integrity, and to condemn any Russian interference with regard to illegal de facto control Russian troops and any attempts to further destabilize Georgia.
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