President Zurabishvili’s Address to the European Parliament

On December 18, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili addressed the European Parliament on the violations of the October 26 elections, the pro-Russian steps taken by the ruling Georgian Dream party, and the turn away from EU integration that Georgians have been protesting for weeks. In her speech, she criticized the EU for being slow to act against GD’s repressive steps and called for new elections in the country and more vocal support from the EU.

October 26 Elections

In her speech, President Salome Zurabishvili addressed the October 26 parliamentary elections in Georgia, describing them as “systematic, massively rigged and very sophisticated.” She highlighted the ruling party’s complete control over the Central Election Commission, achieved through amendments to the Electoral Code that ignored European Union recommendations.

She noted that the electronic voting system was implemented without safeguards such as biometric verification, while intimidation, propaganda, and administrative resources were widely used to manipulate the outcome. Zurabishvili also pointed to the use of “black money”, estimating that some $200 million was funneled into the election process in just two months.

The President argued that the elections violated two key principles: universality and confidentiality. She noted the disenfranchisement of more than one million Georgian citizens living abroad, with only 34,000 able to vote despite widespread mobilization. “The whole diaspora knew that the election was about Europe or Russia,” she noted.

The President noted that confidentiality was undermined by the presence of “party cameras” near voting devices and a lack of independent oversight, and stressed that appeals to address these irregularities were rejected by the courts, further highlighting the lack of independence of the judiciary. Zurabishvili further emphasized that there is a case brought to the Strasbourg court regarding the elections in an attempt “to exploit all the legal ways that can be envisaged in order to get out and to get through a political solution to this very deep crisis.”

Post-Elections Situation in Georgia

President Salome Zurabishvili outlined the deteriorating situation in Georgia following the October 26 elections, highlighting an “accelerated Russian path” and systematic violations of democratic norms. She condemned the unconstitutional convening of the Parliament without presidential approval and without allowing the Constitutional Court to review election-related appeals.

Zurabishvili criticized the Prime Minister’s unilateral decision to suspend the process of Georgia’s European integration, calling it a violation of the Constitution and “a suspension of Georgia’s European future.” She argued that these actions have solidified one-party or one-man control over all state institutions, leaving only the opposition media, civil society, and the presidency outside their reach – although all these are subject to considerable pressure and intimidation.

Zurabishvili described the dire conditions for opposition media and NGOs, which operate under “constant threat” from hastily adopted laws modeled on “Russian practices.” These include measures allowing preventive arrests and a law dismantling impartiality in the civil service, allowing arbitrary dismissals and promotions without merit. She linked these developments to a broader strategy of intimidation against civil servants and members of civil society who protest or express dissent, noting that repression, surveillance, and politicization are being institutionalized. The President warned of a growing campaign of hate and accusations, with government officials labeling opponents as “liberal fascists” and threatening to abolish opposition parties.

She also highlighted the increasing use of disinformation by the ruling party, comparing it to Russian tactics. Zurabishvili noted that government-controlled media withhold corrections and public statements from European partners, leaving Georgian citizens unaware of the government’s lies. Despite this grim picture, she reaffirmed the importance of the resistance of civil society and opposition forces, which continue to resist the government’s repressive measures and fight for Georgia’s democratic and European future.

Future of EU-Georgian Relations

President Zurabishvili emphasized that the current crisis in Georgia goes beyond ordinary politics or government overreach. Framing the elections as a referendum on Georgia’s future, she stressed that the Georgian people will not stop their struggle for “free and fair elections, because that is the only democratic political way out of this situation.” But, she argued, this issue is not just about Georgia – it is also a challenge for Europe. “It is about Europe’s credibility,” she said, adding that Europe cannot allow a country that has recently been granted candidate status to “trample all democratic rules and norms” or ignore EU recommendations.

She emphasized Georgia’s strategic importance for Europe and warned that the stakes go far beyond national borders. Russia, she explained, is trying to reassert its influence in the region, and it is doing so by recalling historical strategies: “Russia remembers its imperial times generals that used to say that who holds Tbilisi holds the Caucasus. And that, for Russia, has not changed.” Zurabishvili argued that Georgia’s fate affects Black Sea security, connectivity to Central and South Asia, and even Armenia’s European prospects.

“If Georgia falls under Russian control… the stakes are very high,” she warned, stressing that this struggle is part of the larger confrontation between Europe and Russian aggression. “After Russia lost in Syria… failed to impose itself in Ukraine… and Moldova… should it win in Georgia?” she asked.

Zurabishvili criticized Europe’s response so far, stating that it has “met the challenge halfway.” While acknowledging the recent Foreign Affairs Council decision as a “first step,” she argued that “much more can and should be done.” Georgians, she said, have been fighting tirelessly, while Europe has been “slow to wake up and slow to react.”

The President called for strong and visible political support, including high-level visits that respect the principle of “not business as usual.” She urged European leaders to avoid visits that could be manipulated by Georgian government propaganda, noting: “In propaganda, they are the best, undoubtedly.” Zurabishvili also emphasized the need to combat disinformation, asking, “Can Europe accept to be called the party of war? Can Europe accept to see some of its Ambassadors insulted in the country?” She urged the EU to be more “geostrategic” in its stance.

Justice, she argued, is another area where Europe can make a difference. She called for the immediate release of detained demonstrators, highlighting sentences of up to nine years handed down in recent trials. European Ambassadors, she noted, had begun observing court proceedings, and she urged more such monitoring to expose the judiciary’s flaws

Finally, Zurabishvili called on Europe to use its significant leverage as Georgia’s largest donor and trading partner, and as home to its largest diaspora. She pointed out the hypocrisy of Georgia’s leadership, who “import post-Soviet Russia governance in Georgia but are happy to save and spend their money in Europe.” This, she said, provides Europe with the tools to stand firmly by the Georgian people.

“Georgia will win this fight,” she declared, pledging that the country would defend its “freedom, democracy, and European future.” Ending with an appeal to urgency, she asked: “Will you speed up the transition, or will you let it prolong throughout the winter?” The Georgian people, she assured, will not waver, but they expect Europe to step up so the two can “defend Europe and its values together.”

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