MFA of France Issues Statement on President Salome Zurabishvili’s Impeachment Proceedings

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement ahead of the upcoming vote on President Salome Zurabishvili’s impeachment on October 18. The statement reads that France has taken note of the decision of the Constitutional Court of Georgia to validate the impeachment procedure initiated by the parliamentary majority, with the support of the government, against the President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili.

The statement further states: “At a crucial moment for the future of the country, where unity and cohesion around European values must prevail, France expects the Georgian government to demonstrate responsibility and focus its efforts on the implementation of the set of reforms necessary to consolidate democracy and the rule of law, in particular in connection with the 12 priorities set out by the Commission in its Opinion of June 2022 on Georgia’s application for membership of the European Union.”

Salome Zurabishvili was born in Paris, France into a family of Georgian political refugees. She served as a French diplomat before accepting in 2004 the Georgian nationality and becoming a Foreign Minister of Georgia, and later starting political career in Georgia.

On October 16, the Constitutional Court of Georgia ruled that President Salome Zurabishvili has violated the Constitution. The Court determined that the President breached the country’s Constitution by making working visits to Europe without the Government’s approval.

The vote on the President’s impeachment will be held in the Parliament on October 18.

Also Read:

• 17/10/2023 – PM: Gone Are the Days When the President Thought She was Above the Law and the Constitution
• 16/10/2023 – Presidential Representatives: Constitutional Court Ruling is Political
• 16/10/2023 – President Zurabishvili: the Time for Dreaming “Dreams” Is Over
• 16/10/2023 – Politicians React to Constitutional Court Ruling on President’s Constitutional Breach
• 16/10/2023 – Constitutional Court Rules President’s Foreign Visits Unconstitutional

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