EU threatens Georgia sanctions over protest crackdown
The European Union plans to impose sanctions on Georgian diplomats responsible for the use of force against demonstrators. The EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, announced that the list of individuals to be sanctioned "is already ready." Still, it requires a procedure and, first, the approval of the EU foreign ministers.
The European Union is preparing to respond to the suppression of protests by the Georgian authorities. Demonstrations have erupted across the country since the parliamentary elections in October, which the opposition claims were rigged. They intensified after the electoral college, where the ruling party, Georgian Dream, holds a majority, announced the selection of a new president and suspended the topic of Georgia's EU membership until 2028. The mandate of the president elected in the general election, Salome Zurabishvili, expires on December 29.
Georgia. EU plans sanctions on ruling party for suppressing protests
Kaja Kallas, the EU's chief diplomat, is set to present a proposal to impose sanctions on Georgian diplomats at a meeting with the EU foreign ministers. This targets politicians from the Georgian Dream party who are responsible for the decision to suppress peaceful protests. Sanctions, she added, could later be expanded, depending on how the situation develops. In Brussels, there is even talk of completely suspending visa-free travel with Georgia.
The EU's chief diplomat emphasized that the list of Georgian diplomats to be sanctioned is already ready and has been submitted to EU ministers. However, to bring them into effect, a proposal formally developed by the European Commission is needed, which will then be voted on by a qualified majority of member states (15 out of 27, representing at least 65% of EU diplomacy). First, the member states need to be acquainted with the premises of such a solution.
Kallas did not reveal how the EU intends to approach the issue of Georgia's presidential election. On Saturday, December 14, the electoral college selected Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer player and candidate from the Georgian Dream, as president.
Kallas discussed the possibility of sanctions against the Georgian authorities during her presentation to journalists. "We are 27 democracies, each member state has its expectations, so discussions are likely to take some time," she admitted. So far, sanctions, including travel restrictions, have been imposed on Georgian rulers by the Baltic countries.
This is the first instance where the head of state is not being elected by the entire Georgian population. Kallas is giving Georgia's rulers time on this matter. "A lot can still happen by December 29," she remarked.
