European Parliament rejects Georgia's parliamentary elections, calls for new vote

The announcement was published on the European Parliament’s official website.

"MEPs denounce the numerous and serious electoral violations, including documented cases of intimidation of voters, vote manipulation, interference with election observers and media and reported manipulation involving electronic voting machines," the statement reads.

The resolution states that the vote results announced by the country’s Central Election Commission “do not serve as a reliable representation of the will of the Georgian people.”

The European Parliament rejects the election results outright, as does the international community. MEPs are demanding new elections within a year, monitored closely by international observers and overseen by an independent election administration.

The resolution also calls for the EU to impose personal sanctions on Georgian officials and political leaders held responsible for undermining democracy, violating election laws, and abusing state institutions.

Sanctions would target Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Tbilisi Mayor and ruling Georgian Dream party official Kakha Kaladze, Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, and former Prime Minister and oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili.

The MEPs further urge EU member states to severely limit official engagement with Georgia’s government and parliament. They argue that recent legislation, such as the law on transparency and foreign influence, has effectively stalled Georgia’s EU integration process.

Additionally, the European Parliament condemned Russia’s consistent meddling in Georgia’s democratic processes, including disinformation campaigns like the “Global War Party” conspiracy, which falsely accuses opposition leaders of planning to drag Georgia into a war with Russia under Western influence.

"Any attempts to ban legally established political parties would further alienate the country from the EU and make any moves towards EU accession impossible," the MEPs warned in their statement.

Elections in Georgia on October 26, 2024: Background

On Saturday, October 26, 2024, Georgia held parliamentary elections. The Central Election Commission declared the pro-Russian party "Georgian Dream" the winner, with 54% of the vote. The party built its campaign around rejecting EU and NATO membership, claiming these alliances could drag Georgia into war. To drive the point home, "Georgian Dream" used footage of destroyed Ukrainian cities in its campaign materials.

So far, only Viktor Orban (Hungary), Nikol Pashinyan (Armenia), and Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan) have congratulated the Georgian government on its "victory."

Meanwhile, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, responded to a report released on October 27 by EU election observers. The report flagged irregularities in the voting process, prompting Michel to call on Georgia’s election commission to address and fix the violations.

On October 27, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili gave a speech accusing the election process of "total falsification and vote confiscation."

The situation escalated on October 28 when protests broke out in Tbilisi following the announcement of election results. Around 15,000 people gathered outside the parliament building in the city center.

By October 30, Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office had opened an investigation into alleged election fraud. This included 47 cases of suspected crimes during the pre-election period and on election day. Two individuals were arrested for allegedly stuffing ballots. President Zurabishvili was summoned for questioning but refused to appear.

Opposition parties have rejected the election results, staging another protest on November 4. Protesters, led by opposition coalition members and figures like Giorgi Inalishvili, demanded accountability and fairness.

The legal battles continued, with the Georgian Court of Appeal overturning a decision to annul results at several polling stations on November 7, citing secrecy violations during the vote. Meanwhile, opposition members officially renounced their parliamentary mandates as a form of protest.

On November 18, President Zourabichvili announced plans to file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court to challenge the election results.

Despite the uproar, on November 28, the Georgian parliament approved a new government led by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.