During a mini-plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, a debate took place on the deepening democratic crisis in Georgia following the recent parliamentary elections and alleged electoral fraud. PiS MEP Małgorzata Gosiewska took part in the discussion.
“History teaches us that dictators can come to power through democratic elections, but when they cling to that power at all costs, they become a threat not only to their own people but also to the international community,” Małgorzata Gosiewska noted. She recalled that in 2012, Bidzina Ivanishvili gained democratic legitimacy, and President Saakashvili peacefully handed over power. The MEP pointed out that since 2016, and especially after the 2020 elections, Georgia has been moving toward authoritarianism, and state institutions have been subordinated to oligarchs whose wealth was amassed in Russia during the years of rampant privatization. She stated that “we are currently dealing with the unchecked power of a man with mafia ties, which is unacceptable.” “I call for the complete isolation of Georgia’s current authorities by freezing European programs, imposing visa sanctions, and creating a cordon sanitaire around the regime’s representatives on the international stage,” Małgorzata Gosiewska appealed to EU politicians.
