Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset stated in the European Parliament that the democratic backsliding in Georgia is deeply concerning. He stressed that the shrinking of civic space, pressure on the opposition and political parties, detentions, restrictive legislation, and the lack of accountability for police brutality are “completely unacceptable.”
“First of all, I want to make it clear that I take the Council of Europe’s work in Georgia very seriously, including previous resolutions, as well as the report discussed this week, and we see the same reality and face the same reality.
The backsliding of democracy in Georgia is deeply concerning, and we must clearly draw attention to this. The shrinking of civic space, pressure on the opposition and parties, detentions, restrictive legislation, and the lack of accountability for police brutality are completely unacceptable,” the politician noted.
Berset said that on June 22 he met with representatives of Georgian civil society, and “their concerns confirm the seriousness of the situation.” According to him, isolation is not the answer, and the discussion must lead to tangible progress.
“This is not a matter of a clear conscience; would it be easy for me to use certain tools without observing the potential consequences? We need to strike a balance; the goal is to achieve movement, not just to say that we did the right thing, but to actually do something right, to achieve good results.
At the moment, we see that Georgia’s absence [from the meeting] does not improve the situation. The question is how we can draw attention to this to achieve the maximum possible effect—as we know, isolation is not the answer,” stated the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
Berset also noted that the goal is not just dialogue, but also the question of when, how, and with what result.
“I remain engaged at all levels, and please note that dialogue alone cannot be the goal for me, that is clear to me. The question is when, how, and with what result—not just when and how. This is also an important element of the discussion. It must lead to tangible progress; that must be the goal. I think I made this very clear to Prime Minister Kobakhidze in Yerevan on May 4. I have also instructed my team to develop concrete ways to resolve the situation,” stated Alain Berset.