On January 29, the Georgian Dream party announced its withdrawal from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) after the Assembly passed a resolution calling for new parliamentary elections in Georgia. The resolution, which passed with 114 votes in favor and 13 against, also demanded the release of political prisoners and the revision of controversial laws. In response, Thea Tsulukiani, head of the Georgian delegation and Georgian Dream’s Minister of Justice, labeled the resolution as “unacceptable, unfair, and unfounded.” She emphasized that accepting these demands would undermine Georgia’s sovereignty and betray the over 1.1 million voters “who had supported Georgian Dream in the previous elections”. Tsulukiani then announced that the Georgian delegation would cease its participation in PACE with immediate effect.
The resolution emphasized the need for the Georgian government to take immediate steps to reverse the country’s democratic backsliding, including holding new, genuinely democratic elections under international supervision, an immediate end to police brutality and human rights abuses, immediate and effective steps to “enable Georgia to resume the European integration process”, and releasing political prisoners before PACE’s next session in April 2025. The Assembly had initially approved the credentials of the Georgian delegation, but suspended many of their rights, including participation in five of PACE’s nine committees and the ability to observe elections or represent the Assembly at events.
Their withdrawal jeopardizes the dialogue that could help to advance democratic standards in Georgia – PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos
Earlier in the day, the Georgian delegation had pushed for unconditional ratification of their credentials. They argued that there were no legal grounds for new elections and sought to remove the paragraph suspending their rights within the Assembly. However, these amendments, co-authored by several deputies from Hungary, Bulgaria, Armenia, and Turkey, were rejected. There was also a failed proposal to simply not ratify the Georgian delegation’s credentials at all, which was supported by members from the EC/DA, SOC, and ALDE groups.
PACE’s stance in passing the resolution was backed by several of its members, including Gustaf Gothberg, a Member of the Swedish Parliament and PACE delegate. Speaking to Radio Free Europe’s Georgian Service, Gothberg explained that the decision to challenge Georgia’s credentials was driven by three main factors: “The first reason is that there were bought-and-stolen elections in Georgia. I was there myself and I saw the local thugs outside the polling stations, teaming up; saw the cameras inside. The second one is what’s been happening since – the violent crackdown on protesters, civil society, journalists. And the third one is that the delegation from Georgia now consists of representatives from a one party parliament – and that one party is a one-man show.”
Gothberg rejected arguments suggesting that the decision could push Georgia further into Russia’s sphere of influence. He firmly stated, “We know that Ivanishvili doesn’t need any pushing; he is already a puppet of Putin. We need to do everything we can to support the democratic forces, which are represented by the Georgian people standing in the streets, people who want to belong to Europe, not to Russia.”
The Georgian opposition also welcomed PACE’s resolution. Tina Bokuchava, Chair of the Unity-UNM coalition, argued that the resolution sought to overcome the political crisis in the country and aligned with the goals of ongoing pro-European protests in Georgia. “The issue of the ratification of the credentials itself… is only a lever and an instrument to achieve the goal of overcoming the political crisis,” she said. Civil society representatives also supported the move. Nino Dolidze, director of the election monitor ISFED, noted that the conditions set by PACE align with the demands of Georgian society: new elections and the release of political prisoners by April.
Yet Georgian Dream officials, including Secretary General Kakha Kaladze, criticized the draft resolution, accusing the Parliamentary Assembly’s Monitoring Committee of issuing “blackmail or ultimatums.” Kaladze rejected the conditions laid out in the document, including the demand for new elections and the release of political prisoners, stating that such actions were “categorically unacceptable.” He emphasized that Georgia sought “friendship and partnership,” not coercion.
Such decisions reveal the dysfunction in European institutions. Ultimately, this will not change anything significant for Georgia – PM Kobakhidze
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also commented on the PACE resolution and Tsulukiani’s announcement, supporting the decision to withdraw from the assembly. He criticized the European institutions involved, describing the resolution as a result of bureaucratic inefficiency rather than a meaningful policy response. “These kinds of decisions reveal the dysfunction in European institutions. Ultimately, this will not change anything significant for Georgia,” Kobakhidze claimed.
He emphasized that the decision to leave PACE was unavoidable. “What Mrs. Tsulukiani announced was crucial. Of course, this was the only option we had. Our delegation will not continue participating in the Parliamentary Assembly under these circumstances, and we will challenge this issue further,” he stated.
While asserting that the withdrawal was final for the time being, Kobakhidze left open the possibility of re-engaging with PACE if the situation changes. “If the attitude toward Georgia shifts, we would naturally reconsider our participation. But given the current context, continuing to work there makes no sense,” he explained.
Kobakhidze also minimized the importance of the Parliamentary Assembly, arguing that it holds little influence in the broader European political landscape. “The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is far less significant than the European Parliament, which itself does not hold much power. This is just a parliamentary body with limited influence. Naturally, Georgia remains a member of the Council of Europe,” he concluded.
PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos expressed regret over the Georgian delegation’s decision to withdraw, noting that the Assembly had planned to reconsider the delegation’s credentials in light of progress made on the mentioned issues.
“[Their withdrawal] jeopardizes the dialogue that could help to advance democratic standards in Georgia,” he said.
By Team GT
