Foreign Policy Experts from Germany Condemn the Georgian Government’s Crackdown on Protesters
Foreign policy spokespeople from the Green Party, SPD, CDU/CSU, and FDP have issued a joint statement, condemning the Georgian government’s harsh crackdown on protesters. The statement, released on Thursday, says that the protests in Georgia have reached a critical point. The police have used tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets against the demonstrators, and more than 300 people have been arrested, with the majority reporting violence and inhumane treatment by the security forces.
There is a growing danger of increased repression by the authorities, the foreign policy experts, Deborah Düring, Nils Schmid, Jürgen Hardt, and Ulrich Lechte, said in the statement. They are deeply concerned about the obstruction of the rights of the Georgians, who are bravely taking to the streets to protest against the Georgian Dream’s intention to torpedo the EU integration process.
The foreign policy experts strongly condemn the use of violence against the demonstrators and demand that the relevant authorities immediately stop the use of force against peaceful protesters and release those arrested. All acts of violence must be investigated, and those responsible held accountable.
The experts also welcome the German government’s efforts on the EU level to impose targeted sanctions on those responsible for severe human rights violations against peaceful demonstrators. Nine main responsible individuals have already been subject to national entry bans.
They also welcome the suspension or non-approval of numerous support measures and the putting of bilateral cooperation on the test, saying that it is right to put the cooperation on the test and to suspend or not approve numerous support measures.
The foreign policy experts reiterated their “firm support” for the “legitimate European aspirations of the Georgian population and their striving for prosperity and democracy.” They will continue to help the Georgian civil society to lead the country back to a democratic and European path. It is now necessary for a “pluralistic process of restoring and consolidating democratic principles, at the end of which free and fair parliamentary elections can take place.”
The background of the statement is the announcement by Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidze on November 28, 2024, to exclude EU membership talks until 2028 and not accept EU budget aid until then, which has led to massive protests across Georgia.
The decision of the Georgian Dream party to abandon its efforts to join the EU, despite its pre-election promises, was sharply condemned by the German foreign policy experts. This has represented a departure from the policies of all previous Georgian governments and the European aspirations of the majority of the Georgian people. The Georgian Dream has “unfortunately taken a increasingly authoritarian and anti-European course” the foreign policy experts from CDU, Greens, SPD, and FDP said.