Svenja Hahn, President of the ALDE Party (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) and Member of the European Parliament, together with Jan-Christoph Oetjen, President of the European Liberal Forum and MEP, have addressed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos regarding the democratic situation in Georgia.
The ALDE Party published the letter on Facebook, stating:
“Enough is enough!
The ‘Georgian Dream’ regime is crushing independent voices and driving Georgia further away from Europe.
After more than 20 years of work in the country, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom was forced to close its Tbilisi office, as it was no longer able to carry out its independent operations.
Targeted sanctions must be imposed on those responsible for repression and the systematic undermining of democracy.
We can no longer turn a blind eye.”
In the appeal itself, dated 2 October, the authors placed special focus on the closure of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s Tbilisi office, which had been active in Georgia for more than two decades.
They stressed that the foundation decided to shut down its operations after Georgian authorities rejected its grant application.
“The authorities made it clear that the Naumann Foundation’s activities would only be permitted if aligned with governmental priorities. Under these conditions, the foundation concluded that it could no longer fulfill its mission as an independent political organization,” the letter states.
According to the signatories, the termination of the Naumann Foundation’s work serves as “yet another clear example of the crackdown on independent civil society and the mounting pressure on protesters, opposition politicians, journalists, and independent voices.”
The letter underscores that the foundation had operated in Georgia since 2002, fostering civic education, democratic participation, the rule of law, European integration, and an open society.
The leaders of ALDE and the European Liberal Forum stated that the ongoing developments in Georgia not only affect the nation’s citizens, but also undermine the credibility of EU enlargement policy and the European Union’s commitment to democracy and fundamental rights.
“These developments demonstrate the extent to which the ‘Georgian Dream’ regime is backsliding from the standards expected of an EU candidate country, serving as an alarming wake-up call for everyone who supports Georgia’s European future,” the authors emphasize.
They call on the European Union to impose “targeted sanctions” against individuals responsible for the repression and the systematic degradation of democratic institutions and fundamental freedoms in Georgia.
“The role of EU political leadership is crucial in preventing further escalation and sending a clear signal that such actions will inevitably carry consequences,” the statement reads.
As of 1 October, four German political foundations have ceased their operations in Georgia due to repressive legislation adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream party: the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.