Analysis briefly:
- Over the last fewer years, the European Parliament's attitude towards the conduct of the Georgian authorities has become increasingly critical due to their increasingly strong authoritarian tendencies.
- The European Parliament regularly takes various activities in consequence to the socio-political situation in Georgia. In the last fewer months, we have been faced with a number of actions, including the Nobel Prize for Georgian journalist, a symbol of opposition to Georgian authorities, and another debate on the regression of democracy in that country has been organised.
- The actions of the European Parliament have a symbolic and political dimension, inter alia, contributing to maintaining interest in the situation in Georgia, providing support to protesters and can contribute to real changes in the external policy of the European Union and the associate States in relation to relations with the Georgian authorities.
For respective years, Georgia's relations with the European Union have been subject to continuous degradation. The European Parliament is the EU institution that pays peculiar attention to this situation. His assessment of the policies pursued by the ruling Georgian Dream organization in this Caucasian country has changed dramatically over the last fewer years. The European Parliament is increasingly critical and skeptical of the Georgian authorities. This is all the consequence of their various actions which are unacceptable to the European Union as a whole, due to the fact that they undermine the values on which it is based.
Developments in the political situation in Georgia and parallel change in the attitude of the European Parliament towards the authorities of Georgia.
The Georgian authorities have been making systemic changes in both interior and abroad policies in fresh years. Factors that translate into increasingly mediocre relations with the European Union and thus the European Parliament's critical attitude towards them is many. Among the most important, the adoption of the alleged abroad Agents Act by the Georgian Parliament, which is aimed primarily at media activities and non-governmental organisations, should be mentioned. 1 of the more crucial allegations is that they are modelled on a akin Russian law and de facto weaken democracy and strengthen authoritarianism. Steps related to the adoption of the bill in 2024 sparked weeks of protests, especially on the streets of Tbilisi. At the same time, the authorities are implementing another diverse legal solutions that are recognised undemocratic [1]. It is besides worth noting that Georgia has been mostly reshaping its abroad policy for respective years, taking a course geared towards warming relations with Russia, but besides allowing another players to come to itself, specified as China.
A crucial event from the position of changing the position of the European Parliament was besides the parliamentary elections held in late October 2024 in Georgia, in which Georgia's Dreams won 4th consecutively. This turned into a serious political crisis in Georgia, as the opposition, among another things, abandoned counterfeiting. The OSCE reflection mission stressedthat voters had a wide selection of candidates, and those in turn could run a free campaign. However, strong social polarisation, reports of force and force on voters, crucial financial imbalances in favour of Georgian Dreams and adverse fresh legal changes, including those related to electoral law, have been negatively reported.
In its resolution, the European Parliament besides criticised the full electoral process. He indicated Among another things, parliamentary elections were not conducted according to global standards and there were many violations. Furthermore, he proposed that the global community should not recognise their results and that they should be repeated within a year. A direct consequence of the resolution was the announcement by the Georgian authorities of the suspension of the accession process to the European Union by the end of 2028. In turn, the consequence of this was the outbreak of powerful civilian protests, which actually proceed to this day, which are frequently brutally suppressed. This aspect, on the another hand, is yet another controversial action that has led to strong criticism by Euro-Parliamentarians. specified a situation raises serious concerns for the European Union as a full about the further course and policy of the authorities in Tbilisi.
Therefore, there are many elements determining the increasingly critical attitude of the European Parliament to the improvement of the political and social situation in Georgia. In the last fewer years, it has adopted negative resolutions towards this country and has held many debates on the state of democracy and human rights. Its activity is besides reflected in the push for concrete action by the European Union as a consequence to the Georgian authorities. First of all, the European Parliament is keen to see that the European Community implements and imposes sanctions on the people and officials liable for the regression of democracy [2]. It should be noted that the resolutions frequently mention the circumstantial names of the persons who should be covered.
The latest initiatives of the European Parliament in consequence to the political situation in Georgia.
In fresh times, Georgia has continued to talk in the European Parliament through its further activities. Last October, president of this Robert Metsol body in plenary announced that the winners of the Sakharov Prize [3] were Andrzej Poczobut and Georgian writer Mzia Amaglobeli, 1 of the symbols of Georgia's protests following the 2024 parliamentary elections [4]. The award was presented in December of the same year. On behalf of a jailed journalist, another writer working in her media received her. She read the letter of the laureate addressed to the Euro-Parliamentary in which Amaglobeli stressedthat the prize is accepted on behalf of journalists and journalists fighting in Georgia to save journalism, so that the voice of Georgian citizens who disagree with the political situation of their country is inactive heard. With respect to the state in which it is situated indicatedthat the authorities in Georgia are ruthless because, among another things, they are destroying free media, eliminating opposition, or dismantling NGOs.
In the last period of 2025, the plenary session besides held a debate on the deepening crisis of democracy in Georgia. respective twelve parliamentarians took the floor. The vast majority condemned the state of democracy. Among statements There were those that decently compared the situation in Georgia with that in Belarus. Organisation attention to emerging reports on the usage of strong chemicals in the suppression of protests. Malik Azmani MEP said However, Georgia has more political prisoners than Russia per capita. The participants in the debate besides stressed the request for individual sanctions, called for the release of political prisoners, and stressed the fact that Georgia had strayed from the European path.
In January this year, the European Parliament adopted in the form of a resolution a study for 2025 on the implementation of the common abroad and safety policy, in which this passage was devoted to the situation in Georgia. Again, this paper expresses strong criticism as to where the authorities of that country are heading. European Parliament condemned above all, the authoritarian urges of Georgian Dream and noted that he rejected designation of the validity of the fresh parliamentary elections. At the same time, it considers Georgia to be a state owned by this organization and governed by illegal authorities. In addition, as in another resolutions, the European Parliament insists that the Georgian authorities mostly deviate from the way taken. He besides reiterated his appeal to the European Union to impose circumstantial sanctions on Georgian Dream representatives and officials liable for the regression of democracy in Georgia.
The importance of the European Parliament's activities towards Georgia.
The European Parliament's activity in the context of the authoritarian course of Georgian authorities and the changing socio-political situation in Georgia is primarily of political and symbolic importance. It is crucial to emphasise the regularity of the action, i.e. the adoption of further resolutions, the organisation of debates and the plan and proposal of changes in the relations between the European Union and the Georgian authorities. Thus, the European Parliament does not let us to forget the constantly deteriorating political situation in the Caucasian country. This is more important, all the more so as the geopolitical situation in the planet continues to condense and the number of cases and problems associated with it is expanding rapidly. The issue of Georgia could actually be forgotten, and the authorities of that country would carry out further undemocratic legislative changes without being noticed by the world. However, the European Parliament is acting against global conditions that could favour Georgian decision-makers.
At the same time it creates a communicative and sustains a debate on the state of Georgia. The European Parliament so appears to be an global guardian of values in the world, especially those at the heart of the functioning of the European Union. It clearly indicates who is liable for what Georgia's policy looks like. In his narrative, he uses direct, very critical and decisive speech and language to describe the situation in that country. It is worth noting that the European Parliament is trying to emphasise that Georgian Dreams and people associated with it are liable for moving distant from the pro-European course and authoritarian direction of the authorities. In resolutions, it avoids wording identifying these authorities with the full state. It thus shows that the word Georgia has a mention to all citizens whose majority want to follow the European path. This is at the same time linked to the fact that the European Parliament does not consider these authorities legal.
The actions of the European Parliament are besides crucial for civilian society in Georgia and the protesters themselves. They receive an crucial signal of support and that the European community does not forget them. Thus, their actions are legitimised, which the European Parliament sees as a manifestation of a strong drive for freedom, democracy and future membership of the European Union. This is besides to be seen as a kind of intellectual action, as this makes Georgians aware that their fight is met with the approval, designation and motion of solidarity from an crucial global actor, the European Parliament. Left to themselves in the fight against the apparatus of power, they could demobilize more rapidly and begin to feel the senselessness of their own actions and thus let go of the conflict for their own future.
Action taken is besides a ground for further activity in this area. They will proceed to exert force on the Georgian authorities and keep social mobilization aimed at restoring the regulation of law in Georgia. At the same time, they can besides be considered as guidelines on how another EU institutions and associate States should act in relations with the Georgian authorities. This is crucial in view of the fact that the activities of the European Parliament in question may frequently not have direct results, even in the form of any change in the behaviour of the Georgian authorities. Finally, he uses instruments that have no legal power. However, this activity may indirectly contribute to real changes. The narration of the European Parliament may be reflected in the programming papers of the European Union, as well as in the associate States, which in turn may put circumstantial force on the Georgian authorities to return to a democratic path.
[1] See e.g. K. Fedorovich, Right in the service of authoritarianism. Legislative changes leading to the elimination of civilian society and the collapse of democracy in Georgia, Institute of Central Europe, 2025.
[2] See for example: European Parliament resolution of 13 February 2025 on the worsening political situation in Georgia (2025/2522(RSP)).
[3] Them. Sakharova is simply a discrimination awarded to individuals, groups or various organisations for their actions and contributions to the defence of human rights and freedom of thought. This is the European Union award, which is presented annually by the European Parliament. In this way it is simply a crucial signal to the global opinion and the winners themselves that they are not left to themselves and can number on EU support in their activities.
[4] Mzia Amaglobeli is the founder of independent Georgian news media known for advanced quality analysis and reliable information. They study on issues related to corruption and abuse of power and human rights. The writer herself participated in anti-government post-election protests, and in January 2025 she was detained after she was about to slap 1 of the police in consequence to the brutal actions of the service against the protesters. The court found that there was a violation of the officer's immunity and sentenced her to 2 years in prison in August of the same year. It is stressed that the judgement was politically motivated, as no specified severe penalties have been imposed in akin cases. In addition, journalists’ defenses indicated that the act she had done was symbolic, not dangerous, was carried out during protests in an emotional atmosphere, and that the officer had not suffered any injuries. The European Parliament besides spoke on this issue, which issued a resolution on the detention of Mzia Amaglobeli. He stressed it states that the arrest was politically motivated and that any of the related procedures were not decently carried out. At the same time, the European Parliament demanded its immediate and unconditional release.
