Opinion: Georgia’s expulsion from Council of Europe – gravest consequences

Georgia’s expulsion from Council of Europe

If Georgia is expelled from the Council of Europe, it could lead to the European Union revoking visa-free travel for Georgian citizens. This assumption was made by political analyst Paata Zakareishvili in response to journalists’ questions about the upcoming debates on Georgia at the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

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“When you are stripped of voting rights — along with your main supporters and allies — thinking about local elections is pointless.”

PACE will hold urgent debates on the situation in Georgia on 10 May as part of its spring session, it was announced.

The debates will also address further steps regarding the resolution on the ratification of the Georgian delegation’s mandates in PACE.

As a reminder, on 29 January 2025, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution calling for new parliamentary elections to be held in Georgia in the coming months..

Paata Zakareishvili:

“Nothing good can be expected from these debates. The situation will only get worse because the government, represented by Georgian Dream, is openly refusing to meet PACE’s conditions. It has not released political prisoners, has not called new elections… On the contrary, the human rights situation continues to deteriorate. Every law adopted recently is effectively aimed against human rights.

Georgian Dream is deliberately, blatantly, and shamelessly attacking European institutions — including the Council of Europe. And by doing so, they leave the Council and other European institutions with no choice but to take even harsher measures. The most serious consequence for Georgia would be expulsion from the Council of Europe. But I still hope it won’t come to that, and instead tougher conditions will be imposed.

A second option would be to postpone expulsion for a certain period. Although the Council of Europe is not directly linked to the EU, the European Union could use its decision as a basis to revoke Georgia’s visa-free travel.”

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I also want to say that the so-called “second front” the West was allegedly trying to open in Georgia is a complete misconception. There is not a single piece of evidence that anyone officially called on Georgia to prepare for war against Russia.

There hasn’t been a single appeal from any foreign state body, not a single resolution, no parliamentary decision, not even a political party.

The problem with Georgian Dream is that they equate statements made by individuals with the official position of an entire state. But that is a shameful delusion — they invented this narrative and are feeding it to their voters because municipal elections are approaching.

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