Opinion: PACE could demand Georgia's withdrawal from the Council of Europe
Georgia may be expelled from the Council of Europe
“If Georgia refuses to work within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, PACE members may call for the country’s exit from the Council of Europe,” says Kaha Gogolashvili, director of the Georgian Center for European Studies.
The January 29 PACE session was dramatic for the ruling “Georgian Dream” government. The European body adopted a tough resolution on Georgia, explicitly calling for new, fair parliamentary elections. It also recognized the existence of political prisoners in the country and demanded their immediate release.
The “Georgian Dream” delegation was given until April 2025 to meet these requirements, or its mandate could be suspended.
However, the representatives of “Georgian Dream” didn’t wait until April and announced the same day that the Georgian delegation was withdrawing from PACE.
“Refusing to participate in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is complete nonsense,” said Kaha Gogolashvili on the “Resume” program of the Georgian outlet PalitraNews.
“Being a member of the Council of Europe means participating in at least two of its institutions. One is the Committee of Ministers, usually attended by foreign ministers. The other is the Parliamentary Assembly.
The Parliamentary Assembly holds debates, assesses countries’ compliance with conventions, monitors possible violations of obligations, and oversees human rights and democracy in Europe. If a country does not take part in this process, then why be a member of the Council of Europe at all?
If a country refuses to comply with PACE resolutions, disregards its recommendations, and does not participate in its work, PACE members may first push to strip it of its voting rights. The next step could be Georgia’s exclusion from the Council of Europe.”
Until now, this has happened to only one country. Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe in March 2022 for its military aggression against Ukraine.
Georgia has become the second country to halt its work in PACE. In January 2024, Azerbaijan left the assembly after its delegation’s credentials were not ratified. PACE cited widespread human rights violations, persecution of opposition politicians, and crackdowns on independent media as the reasons for its decision.
The Council of Europe, founded in 1949, is the oldest international organization in Europe. It consists of 46 member states with a total population of over 670 million. It is an independent organization, separate from the European Union.
One of its most significant achievements is the creation and adoption of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Georgia became a member of the Council of Europe in 1999.
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