**EU Should Take Tougher Action on Georgia, Says MEP**
The European Union should take stronger measures against Georgia, according to Markéta Gregorová, a member of the European Parliament. She made these comments in an interview with the Georgian service of “Voice of America.”
Gregorová was discussing the fact that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe had challenged the accreditation of the Georgian delegation – a move that is unprecedented for Georgia.
In her opinion, this was not strong enough action. She would have preferred to see stricter measures and coordinated sanctions against those who commit violence against Georgian citizens, rob them of their European future, or violate elections.
**Concerns Over Elections and Political Prisoners**
Gregorová also expressed concerns about the elections in Georgia. The European Parliament had published a resolution on this topic a few weeks ago, calling for reforms in the electoral commission. She noted that last year, the ruling Georgian Dream party changed the rules to give themselves a significant majority.
This needs to be reversed to ensure more oversight and transparency, according to Gregorová. She also emphasized the need for independent supervision of elections, possibly through observer missions or the OSCE.
Additionally, she spoke about political prisoners in Georgia, including opposition journalists and former President Mikheil Saakashvili. She noted that while one journalist was released from prison and pardoned by the president, nothing has been done to ease the situation of other political prisoners.
**Missed Opportunity for EU Action**
Gregorová also expressed regret over a missed opportunity for the EU to take stronger action against Georgia when Salome Zurabishvili was still president. She believed that there was a window of opportunity to support the movement with targeted sanctions and a stronger response.
However, this chance has now passed, according to Gregorová. She emphasized that Georgian Dream has seized power and that there will not be another window of opportunity until something dramatic changes – such as Russia losing the war in Ukraine.
**Support for EU’s Action Against Georgian Diplomats**
Gregorová strongly supported the EU’s decision to ban holders of Georgian diplomatic passports from traveling to Europe. She believed that this was a crucial step to exert pressure specifically on the government and members of parliament who may not realize where the situation is heading.
Read More @ www.interpressnews.ge