The Saarbruecker Zeitung reports that after 51 years of partnership, the German city of Saarbrücken intends to sever all official ties with Tbilisi.
The Saarbrücken City Council is set to consider a draft resolution proposed by the office of Mayor Uwe Conradt. The document calls for the suspension of all official contacts with Tbilisi until further notice.
The publication states that the move is prompted by the political developments currently unfolding in Georgia.
The Saarbrücken Mayor’s Office believes that pressure on civil society and the opposition is intensifying in the country. The document notes that foreign-funded organizations are required to register as “agents,” protests are being harshly suppressed, the number of detained opposition members is rising, and new laws are restricting the freedom of assembly, the press, and expression.
Furthermore, the German city authorities state that increasingly severe punishments are being introduced in Georgia even for minor violations.
“While participation in a demonstration, even one obstructing traffic, was previously not considered a serious violation, being on the roadway has gradually shifted from a minor misdemeanor to a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment. The country is moving toward a one-party state, a police regime, and a dictatorship,” the statement reads.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, the report notes, is not only a member of the Kartuli Otsneba (Georgian Dream) party but also its General Secretary. Saarbrücken officials believe he bears political responsibility for the processes occurring in the country.
The publication writes that in 2025, during the 50th anniversary of the partnership between the cities, Saarbrücken authorities canceled planned celebrations and instead met only with representatives of Georgian civil society. This effectively meant the withdrawal of Kaladze’s invitation. There have been no official contacts between the cities since then.
At the same time, the German city authorities emphasize that they do not intend to completely abandon the partnership with Tbilisi.
Plans are in place to maintain support for contacts between the residents of the two cities and to continue funding civil and cultural exchanges; however, official ties between the municipalities are proposed to be frozen.
The Saarbruecker Zeitung writes that the Mayor of Saarbrücken expects the City Council to support this initiative by a majority vote.
