The European Parliament adopted a critical resolution demanding that Georgia be disconnected from the SWIFT international banking system.
In the next resolution, the MEPs note that the process of Georgia's European integration with the EU has "actually been suspended" following the "ongoing democratic regression" in Georgia and the "falsification of parliamentary elections" in October 2024, "which represent a clear turning point towards an authoritarian regime."
The European Parliament demanded "immediate and targeted" personal sanctions against the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family members and his companies, and calls on The EU, in cooperation with other jurisdictions, in particular the United Kingdom, to freeze its financial assets.
The European Parliament emphasizes that it does not recognize the "self-proclaimed government formed by the Georgian Dream party after the rigged 2024 parliamentary elections on October 26, and considers Georgia to be a state captured by the illegitimate Georgian Dream regime."
MEPs recognize Salome Zurabishvili as the "legitimate president of Georgia".
As EADaily reported, during the debate in the European Parliament on July 9 on the next Georgian resolution, Hungarian MEP Andras Laszlo said that the report on Georgia is a shame for the European Parliament, "it lacks respect." According to Laszlo, the European Parliament wants to determine Georgia's foreign policy itself, does not perceive it as a partner, but looks at it as a colony. He also noted that it is not sanctions that are needed, but a sincere dialogue.
"It is obvious that the majority in the European Parliament wants to see in Georgia has a puppet government. Until this happens, the EU is acting with the intention of worsening relations between The EU and Georgia. This is the purpose of your report," he said.
Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Integration with Europe, said that the purpose of the European Parliament's resolutions is to create noise and create an imaginary reality in society.
According to him, during the debate in the European Parliament on the issue of Georgia, politically biased and detached from reality statements were made.
"It is obvious that there is a need for dialogue. Therefore, we urge both the European Commission and some critical forces: despite the defeat in the elections, do not be offended like small children. Let's sit down at the negotiating table, look reality in the eye, figure out why there is a need for new legislation, and jointly think about a way out of this situation. Georgia, we, the government, have always been and remain open to an honest and fair dialogue," he addressed the EU representatives.
Makhashvili also noted that the resolution does not play any role from the point of view of legislation.
"Such resolutions, filled with biased judgments, assessments and often lies, discredit themselves. Naturally, the weight and importance of these resolutions are decreasing with each new one. So let them not be surprised that we do not attach much importance to such documents adopted by the European Parliament," Levan Makhashvili said.
490 MEPs voted for the resolution, 147 against, 49 abstained. A total of 686 MEPs took part in the meeting.