The resolution was developed by the "Social Democratic Party of Germany", the "Union 90/Greens" and the "Liberal Democratic Party".

As mentioned in the resolution, the authoritarian and anti-European course of the current government of Georgia deliberately puts Georgia's European future at risk.

The document mentions that the so-called "Transparency of Foreign Influence" law cannot and will not make further progress in the process of joining the European Union.

The role of the honorary chairman of "Georgian Dream" is emphasized here, and it is said that the goal of maintaining Bidzina Ivanishvili's power is higher than Georgia's European future and democratic stability.

We offer the text of the resolution unchanged:

"The German Bundestag establishes:

First of all, the merit of Georgia's courageous civil society and its struggle for democracy, legal state, freedom and independence for many decades is that after the "Rose Revolution" of 2003, Georgia has become a progressive and democratic state on a regional scale, which has become closer to the European Union. At the same time, both during the rule of the "United National Movement" and "Georgian Dream", there were both advances and setbacks on the way to get closer to the European Union. However, with the authoritarian and anti-European course set by the current government of Georgia, the country's political leadership, against the wishes of the vast majority of the Georgian population, is deliberately putting Georgia's European future at risk. According to the law, the so-called "transparency of foreign influence" cannot and will not be the next step in the process of joining the European Union.

The hope of joining the European Union was reflected in Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia, which declares joining the European Union as a state goal. The European Union gave an account of this aspiration of Georgia: Georgia is part of the Eastern Partnership and the European Neighborhood Policy, it signed an agreement with the European Union on association and free trade, which was signed in 2016. It entered into force on July 1. Georgia in 2022 On March 3, he submitted an application for joining the European Union. In the 2023 of the European Council according to the decision of December 14, Georgia received the candidate status. Candidate status was granted on the condition that Georgia implement priority measures, including comprehensive judicial reform and strengthening of anti-corruption agencies, before taking the next steps towards integration. With this, the European Union paved the way for Georgia's membership in the European Union, thirty-two years after the restoration of Georgia's independence. Now, those who make decisions in the politics of Georgia must take the necessary steps to fulfill the wishes of the population and the goal set in the constitution and to follow the European path to the end.

Granting the status of a candidate for membership was also an expression of solidarity with the people of Georgia, who, throughout recent history, have repeatedly come forward to defend their country's state independence and European future. Georgia was and is still a victim of imperialist, Russian aggression. 2008 After the five-day war, the Russian army, in violation of international law, de facto controls a fifth of Georgia's territory, and Russia has diplomatically recognized Georgia's separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. Russia has not yet fulfilled the 2008 obligations of the six-point plan of August 15, which, among others, meant the withdrawal of Russian troops. The German Bundestag recognizes the territorial integrity of Georgia. Russia's criminal war against Ukraine arouses the fear of Russia starting another war in Georgia. People in Georgia are following the developments in Ukraine with great solidarity and sympathy.

Joining the European Union and NATO was the declared goal of all political forces of Georgia in the past. Meanwhile, polarization between the ruling Georgian Dream party and a large part of the opposition and civil society has been growing over the years. "Georgian Dream"'s increasingly authoritarian and divisive style of governance is the reason for strengthening the political conflict ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26, 2024. The goal of preserving the power of the party's founder and honorary chairman, Georgian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, is higher than Georgia's European future and democratic stability.

ecessary for EU membership.

The independent cultural sector of Georgia is one of the driving forces of the democratic process and is a central component of an open and democratic society. The German Bundestag emphasizes that the rights of cultural workers should be protected, and the freedom and independence of art should be ensured. Independent management of state cultural institutions also belongs to this.

In addition, the German Bundestag condemns the violence and atmosphere of intimidation in the streets of Tbilisi. Disproportionate use of force against the demonstrators does not comply with Georgia's international obligations on the protection of human rights. Georgians, who have repeatedly confirmed their clear choice in favor of democracy, should have the opportunity to peacefully enjoy the right to assembly and free expression. Targeted threats, violence for the purpose of intimidation, as well as large-scale defamation campaigns in public and private space against individuals of civil society, media, opposition, as well as local employees of international organizations and their family members are unacceptable. The pressure on state officials not to come out against the ruling party "Georgian Dream" and to publicly support it - even with the threat of dismissal - also contradicts the principles of democracy and the rule of law, which Georgia, as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights and a member of the Council of Europe and A member country of the Organization for Peace and Cooperation in Europe has made a commitment.

The leadership of "Georgian Dream" is trying to incite an atmosphere of fear by acting increasingly authoritarian and by dividing society into friends/patriots and enemies/traitors. There was no attempt to overcome polarization. Also, the recent statement of the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, about the desire to ban important opposition parties after the elections is absolutely unacceptable and inconsistent with the European understanding of democracy.

Additionally, Georgian Dream feeds on fear of sexual minorities and uses disinformation and persecution against LGBTQIA+ for electoral purposes. The German Bundestag considers the stigmatization of LGBTQIA+ people dictated by the political agenda and the recent massive restriction of their rights unacceptable. This further divides Georgian society.

For Georgia, the upcoming parliamentary elections will be a landmark decision regarding the democratic and legal state and the country's European course. Attacks on independent monitoring organizations, the negative impact of the so-called "Foreign Influence" law on their ability to work, recent changes in electoral legislation that increase the influence of the ruling party in the Central Election Commission, as well as the mobilization of administrative resources to support the policies of "Georgian Dream", the equality of the upcoming parliamentary elections and Freedom is questioned. Parliamentary elections should be held in a non-violent and fair environment that allows for respectful and peaceful concentration on the content of politics. Georgia, as a candidate for EU membership, a member state of the Council of Europe and the OSCE, in the interests of its citizens, must respect and protect these fundamental principles of democratic elections. Against this background, the German Bundestag welcomes the invitation of the ODIHR by Georgia to observe the parliamentary elections. The international community is called upon to closely monitor the observance of democratic principles in the parliamentary elections in Georgia. The German Bundestag is ready to participate in election observation missions in Georgia.

The German Bundestag calls on the federal government, taking into account the budgetary parameters:

At the European level, promote the full implementation of the decisions of the European Union of June 17, 2024;

At the European level, insist that no further progress is made with Georgia in the process of joining the European Union, until the law on the so-called "transparency of foreign influence" is in force. The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe also requested the recall of the law;

In the spirit of the decisions of the European Council of June 27, 2024, promote free and fair elections by supporting the international election observation missions of the OSCE (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and make the formation of future relations with Georgia dependent on the freedom and fairness of the parliamentary elections;

When evaluating elections based on OSCE and EU reports, special attention should be paid to whether long-term observation missions question undemocratic practices established in the pre-election period, e.g. mobilization of administrative resources to support the policy of the ruling party, the legitimacy of elections;

To call on the leadership of Georgia to stop the illegal prosecution by the police and the prosecutor's office of the participants in the peaceful protests;

At the European level, promote the withdrawal of laws that massively restrict the rights of LGBTQIA+ persons as a prerequisite for Georgia's further accession to the European Union, as well as taxing the parliamentary majority of "Georgian Dream" to withdraw these laws. Because the planned changes to the legislation and constitution are not only an attack on the LGBTQIA+ community, but also on human rights, freedom of expression and free civil society;

At the European level, promote that, as part of the process of joining the European Union, the Government of Georgia is called upon to withdraw the "Law on Offshores" adopted in May 2024, which weakens economic transparency and the fight against corruption and may create an opportunity to evade sanctions;

Call on Russia to unconditionally respect the territorial integrity of Georgia and resolutely condemn any Russian intervention by Russian troops in de facto controlled territories in violation of international law, as well as attempts to further destabilize Georgia;

At the European level, promote the maintenance of visa-free travel for the population of Georgia, despite the government's setback in democracy, because the suspension of visa-free travel would affect the entire population of Georgia and thus the pro-European forces as well;

Non-bureaucratically support repressed civil society activists and LGBTQIA+ persons and, if necessary, adapt measures aimed at their protection;

To closely monitor the situation in Georgia in order to identify possible facts that could serve as a pretext for the imposition of targeted sanctions;

To intensify the cultural exchange with the civil society of Georgia and pay attention when giving federal funds to the state institutions of Georgia that they are not used to moving away from the democratic standards of the country," the resolution reads.