Strasbourg (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, during a plenary session of the European Parliament, said, “The ongoing decline of democracy in Georgia is deeply concerning. Recently, officials adopted several legislative amendments that restrict fundamental human rights and undermine democratic governance.”
Brunner stated that the European Union stands by the Georgian people and insists the Georgian government take quick action to de-escalate the crisis in the country.
What did EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner say?
The Commissioner said,
“For more than 50 days, Georgians have been taking to the streets, fighting for the democratic future of their country as part of the European family and exercising their basic rights, for which they face brutal repression, intimidation, and arrests.
The ongoing decline of democracy in Georgia is deeply concerning. Recently, officials adopted several legislative amendments that restrict fundamental human rights and undermine democratic governance. Violence and incitement of hatred against peaceful protesters, politicians, and media representatives, reports of politically motivated dismissals of civil servants, and threats against Salome Zourabichvili are unacceptable.”
Magnus Brunner further urged Georgian officials to enforce the recommendations formed in the OSCE’s final election report and to examine all options to fix public trust in Georgia’s democratic institutions, including assessing the public’s call for new elections.
Why are Georgians protesting the 2024 parliamentary elections?
The protests in Georgia that started on October 28, 2024, have already increased animosity against the ruling party, Georgian Dream, after winning a majority of the seats during the parliamentary elections that took place on October 26.
People demonstrated in protest due to preliminary election results showing a win for the Georgian Dream party. Many claimed these elections were rigged and that there should be a recount and new elections since the entire process was illegitimate.
The situation worsened when, on November 28, the government announced the suspension of EU accession talks until 2028. Such a decision is widely condemned as the public supports EU integration to a great extent among Georgians.
