European Parliament Members Warn Suspending EU Financial Assistance to Georgia

Leading MEPs on EU-Georgia relations said today that the European Parliament will call for “consequences in terms of EU financial assistance, including both a suspension of further disbursements of and an increase in conditionality linked to EU Macro-Financial Assistance and budget support programmes” to Georgia.

The starkly worded missive from Brussels comes as the Georgian Dream and the opposition parties failed to agree on the EU-proposed compromise document on the night of March 30-31. Christian Danielsson, European Council President Charles Michel’s Personal Envoy to mediate Georgia’s political dialogue briefed the MEPs about the developments earlier today.

The MEPs said, “both the ruling and the main opposition parties taking part in the discussions are to be blamed for this outcome and a special responsibility lies with the party in government.”

“Following the refusal from the political parties to compromise, Georgia’s leaders should not expect a return to business as usual from the European Union,” the Members of the European Parliament said.

“We call on Georgia’s leaders to take action immediately. The future of EU-Georgia relations is at stake,” noted the lawmakers.

Reiterating their strong support to Christian Danielsson’s mediation efforts, the MEPs said the EU mediator’s proposal is the right way ahead for Georgia, including “ambitious electoral and judicial reforms, meaningful sharing of responsibilities in the Georgian Parliament and, most importantly, a solution on future elections and on two cases of politicized justice.”

“This solution is politically balanced and respects both the rule of law and the international assessment of the 2020 elections,” the European lawmakers went on, adding that they also welcome the idea of a Jean-Monnet Dialogue process supported by the European Parliament.

The MEPs further stated that the adoption of ongoing electoral and judicial reforms in the Georgian Parliament requires broad political support and the full implementation of the OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations. “We call on the ruling party to ensure a genuinely inclusive process to avoid the further undermining of both future elections and the judiciary, as well as unnecessarily closing the door to a possible agreement in the future,” noted the lawmakers.

The address was signed by David McAllister (EPP, Germany), Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Marina Kaljurand (S&D, Estonia), Andrius Kubilius (EPP, Lithuania), Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (The Greens/EFA, Germany), Sven Mikser (S&D, Estonia), Michael Gahler (EPP, Germany), Petras Auštrevičius (Renew Europe, Lithuania).

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