Bundestag Parliamentary Groups: “We Stand Firmly by the Democrats in Georgia”
“We stand firmly by the democrats in Georgia and will continue to help Georgian civil society to lead the country back onto a democratic and European path,” says the statement issued by spokespersons of German Bundestag’s parliamentary groups. The statement stresses the need for a “pluralistic process”, which will result in free and fair parliamentary elections.
The statement condemns the decision of the Georgian Dream party “to stop efforts to start accession negotiations with the European Union, contrary to its own pre-election campaign promises,” and European aspirations of the vast majority of Georgians and reiterates the “strong support for the legitimate European aspirations of the Georgian people and their quest for prosperity and democracy.”
The statement stresses: “What is needed now is a pluralistic process to restore and consolidate democratic principles, at the end of which free and fair parliamentary elections can take place.”
The statement says that “instead of seizing this historic opportunity and driving the accession process forward by fulfilling reform commitments, the Georgian Dream has regrettably taken an increasingly authoritarian and anti-European course.”
The German lawmakers further note the numerous indications by the independent election observers of “serious electoral interference and manipulation in the October 26 elections. The signatories also note the violence by police and “inhumane treatment” by the security forces during the ongoing dispersals of protests as well as a risk of increasing repression by the authorities. and the use by police of tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets to crack down on protesters. The signatories express deep concern “about the obstruction of the rights of Georgians who are courageously taking to the streets for their European and democratic future to protest against the Georgian Dream’s intention to torpedo the EU integration process.”
“We strongly condemn the use of violence against the protesters,” the statement says, adding: “We call on the relevant authorities to stop the use of force against peaceful protesters and to stop the arrests of protesters immediately. We reiterate that the right to peaceful assembly is a fundamental right that must be strictly respected. All acts of violence must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice.”
The statement says that the German government is campaigning at the EU level for targeted sanctions against those responsible for serious human rights violations against peaceful demonstrators. It notes that “national entry bans have already been issued against nine of those mainly responsible” and welcomes the fact that “bilateral cooperation has been put to the test and that numerous support measures have already been suspended or no longer approved.”
The statement signatories are: Ulrich Lechte, Foreign Policy Spokesperson of the German Free Democratic Party (FDP) Parliamentary Group, Jürgen Hardt, Foreign Policy Spokesperson of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) Parliamentary Groups, Niels Schmid, Foreign Policy Spokesperson of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) Parliamentary Group, and Deborah Düring, Foreign Policy Spokesperson of the Alliance 90/The Greens Parliamentary Group.
Germany has been one of the leading countries in the EU both – in lobbying for Georgia’s EU integration, and in condemning the anti-democratic trends in Georgia and calling for an EU response. At the end of December 2023 Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for a formal debate on suspending Georgia’s EU accession process. She cited what she described as the ruling Georgian Dream party’s “increasingly authoritarian policies.” She said Germany is considering various options with the EU partners, including “ending visa-free travel for Georgian leaders to launching targeted sanctions.”
Also Read:
- 31/12/2024 – Germany Imposes Ban on Nine Georgian Nationals
- 27/12/2024 – Germany’s Baerbock Broaches “Targeted Sanctions,” Warns Georgia’s EU Future at Risk
- 04/12/2024 – Germany Suspends Development Cooperation with Georgia over Democracy Concerns and U-Turn on EU Path
- 10/07/2024 – Ambassador: Germany Stops New Financing, Pulls out from Drills, Keeps Student Visas
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