The European Parliament’s largest political group, the European People’s Party (EPP), has published an official resolution addressing the deterioration of democracy in Georgia. In the document, European politicians strongly condemn the actions of the ruling Georgian Dream party, accusing it of state capture and authoritarianism.
The EPP condemns the pressure exerted on the opposition, civil society, and the media. The party calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Georgia’s third president, Mikheil Saakashvili, and UNM (United National Movement) leader Giorgi Baramidze, who was detained on September 11, 2026, on charges of “state treason.”
The resolution criticizes the authorities’ plans to ban the United National Movement and other opposition parties through the Constitutional Court, a move that undermines political pluralism. It also notes unprecedented purges and criminal prosecutions targeting former senior officials within Georgian Dream itself, where the justice system is being used as a tool to retain power.
The authors condemn systematic attacks on independent media and academia, the dismissal of civil servants, and the failure to investigate instances of torture and excessive use of force against peaceful protesters.
The European People’s Party resolution outlines appeals and demands directed at both the EU and Georgian authorities, specifically urging the introduction and strengthening of targeted personal sanctions against individuals responsible for human rights violations, electoral fraud, and state capture.
The EPP places full responsibility for the potential suspension of the visa-free regime with the EU on Georgian Dream and requests that the European Commission implement this measure in a targeted fashion—against government officials and their family members.
The document also asserts that a resolution to the crisis is possible only through holding rerun, free, and fair parliamentary elections under the oversight of an independent election administration and international observers.