The German Federal Foreign Office has described intentions to ban opposition parties in Georgia as alarming and stated that Berlin will convey its concerns to the Georgian side, DW’s Georgian service reports.
Speaking at a press conference in Berlin on October 21, Foreign Office spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer stated:
“We have been observing developments in Georgia with deep concern for quite some time now. The lawsuit currently pending before the Constitutional Court is another step in this trend, further distancing the country from the European Union and undermining domestic democracy. <…>
That is our assessment. It should also be noted that the extensive use of the judicial system for political purposes, as publicly stated by the European Commission and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, raises serious questions,” Deschauer emphasized.
She added that this lawsuit, alongside other ongoing developments, harms domestic democracy in Georgia and damages its prospects for EU integration. The German Foreign Office spokesperson also noted that Berlin would communicate its concerns on the matter to the Georgian side.
As a reminder, today, October 21, the Constitutional Court of Georgia began hearing a lawsuit brought by the ruling Georgian Dream party seeking to ban five opposition parties.
