EU mediator again in Tbilisi with proposals on how to solve Georgian political crisis
EU mediator returns to Georgia
Special Representative of the President of the European Council Christian Danielson returned to Tbilisi yesterday on March 29 and has already met with the prime minister, president and opposition leaders of Georgia.
He said that on March 30 he would submit his proposals on how to resolve the acute political crisis in the country.
“Democracy means taking into account the interests of all sides, it means making concessions from all sides. My goal is to find ways to implement this approach. In my opinion, ultimately the main thing is to come to an agreement on methods of solving problems such as electoral reform and justice. Of course, other issues will be discussed,” said Danielson.
He called on the parties to take responsibility for ensuring that the agreement between the parties is signed:
“If an agreement is reached, there will be no winners or losers, there will be only winners. And the people of Georgia will be the main winner.”
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Christian Danielson’s first visit to Tbilisi as a mediator in negotiations between the opposition and the authorities in Georgia lasted from March 12-19, and at the time he extended his visit three days longer than planned. But no agreement was reached.
About the political crisis in Georgia
The political crisis in Georgia began after the parliamentary elections in October 2020. The opposition did not recognize the election results and gave up its seats in parliament. As a result, for the first time in history, a virtually one-party parliament operates in the country.
The situation worsened in February 2021, when Nika Melia, the leader of the largest opposition party, the United National Movement, was arrested. Political processes are now taking place on the streets, where the opposition and civic activists hold constant rallies. There are two main demands: the release of political prisoners and the announcement of early parliamentary elections.
The opposition has two main demands – the appointment of early parliamentary elections and the release of Nika Melia, as well as other oppositionists. Several rounds of talks have already taken place with the facilitation of the US Ambassador and other diplomats accredited in Georgia. The moderator was also one of the most influential European officials, President of the European Council Charles Michel. Then, for almost a week, the talks in Tbilisi were facilitated by his personal representative Christian Danielson, and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili was invited to Brussels to discuss the situation.
But all the meetings and tours were in vain. Both sides, the authorities and the opposition, accuse each other of disrupting the negotiations.
