Motion for European Parliament resolution - media freedom in Georgia tabled by ESN MEPs

MEPs Petr Bystron, Tomasz Froelich, Hans Neuhoff and Alexander Sell on behalf of the Europe of Sovereign Nations submitted a motion for a European Parliament resolution on media freedom in Georgia.

The resolution states that the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024 were free and fair, conducted in broad compliance with national and international legal standards and that the Georgian people made a clear choice regarding the composition of their new government.

The document expresses concern about the active involvement of foreign actors in actions of the opposition, aimed at overthrowing the elected government through street power and other extra-constitutional means.

The resolution calls on the European Union to abandon its confrontational approach and avoid imposing a black-and-white narrative on the parties involved.

It further urges the EU to acknowledge the complexity of the situation in Georgia and to refrain from continuing current policies, which, according to the text, only deepen the polarisation of Georgian society and politics.

The resolution also notes that the online media environment in Georgia is diverse and that content on a wide range of topics is available. In general, online content is not subject to deletion, and government requests for removal of online content are relatively rare.

The document mentions that journalist Mzia Amaglobeli was arrested on 12 January 2025 after slapping Batumi police chief Irakli Dgebuadze in the face, which was classified as a criminal offense of “assaulting a police officer” under Article 353 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

The resolution also highlights that the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is pushing the EU to suspend or limit Georgia’s visa-free travel.

Additionally, it considers that decisive in the conflict between civil society organisations and the ruling Georgian Dream party is the partisan role that many opposition-linked CSOs have taken, agitating for the overthrow of the government.

The document further highlights that there is a lack of public trust in CSOs due to a mismatch between the issues CSOs work on and the economic concerns of the majority of the population.

The motion concludes by asserting that there is a lack of public trust towards civil society organisations, given the gap between the issues these groups address and the economic problems faced by the majority of the population.