The European Parliament [EP] endorsed a resolution on Georgia in connection with the European Commission’s 2023 and 2024 reports with 490 votes in favour, 147 against and 49 abstentions.

“The EP reiterates its position that the political and constitutional crisis in Georgia can only be resolved through new parliamentary elections to be held in the coming months in an improved electoral environment, under the supervision of an independent and impartial electoral administration and with the monitoring of international and independent local observers, to ensure a truly fair, free, and transparent process that reflects the genuine will of the people”, - reads the document.

It emphasizes that it does not recognize the government of the Georgian Dream, calls for the EU’s and the Member States’ representatives and members of parliament “to refrain from meetings with representatives of the regime, starting with the current de facto president; continues to recognise Salome Zourabichvili as the legitimate President of Georgia and representative of the Georgian people”.

The resolution also “calls for immediate and targeted personal sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family members, and his companies, and urges the EU to cooperate with other jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom, to freeze his financial assets”. Along with other issues, the document calls for the release of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Some amendments were made to the draft resolution published on the EP’s website on July 8. One of the amendments concerns journalist Mzia Amaglobeli. Her case is considered “politically motivated.”

Another amendment is about local elections scheduled for October 4. The EP says that the municipal elections will be held in a deteriorated electoral environment amid amendments made to the Georgian Organic Law and Election Code in December 2024.

MEP Danilo Della Valle demanded to remove the passage from the resolution on Salome Zourabichvili’s legitimization, though this amendment was disregarded. Moreover, the resolution includes the names of the detained opposition parties’ leaders.