MEP on GD withdrawal from EU-mediated agreement: ‘EU will need to reconsider its relations with Georgian govt'
Reiterating that the EU stands with the people of Georgia ‘in their struggle for a just and democratic state’, Viola von Cramon said ‘this is why it is important for every Georgian to exercise their constitutional rights and vote in the local elections’. Photo: © European Union 2020 - Source : EP/Michel Christen
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“The Georgian Dream made unexpected and, in my opinion, harmful decision for Georgian interests and withdrew from the agreement”, leading member of the European Parliament Viola von Cramon-Taubadel said at a press conference yesterday, adding that the European Union will need ‘to reconsider its relations with the Georgian Government’.
This, Viola von Cramon said, is the reason why she decided to cancel her meetings at the Georgian Parliament.
????????Not the 1st time @GeorgianDream41 breaks its promise. "Annulling" the agreement irreparably breaches trust & renders GD unreliable. #UNM's unconstructive actions & refusal to sign gave GD convenient pretext. People of #Georgia deserve better!
— Viola von Cramon (@ViolavonCramon) July 30, 2021
STATEMENT: https://t.co/MKXZy5iz4V pic.twitter.com/q3XwsGJ6st
Noting that the EU-mediated agreement was and is a fundament for the European Parliament’s democracy support activities with the Georgian Parliament, the MEP said she is ‘afraid’ that after the Georgian Dream’s decision to ‘annul’ the April 19 agreement, ‘Georgia is farther from the EU than it was 3 months ago’.
The excuses for ‘annulling’ the agreement are unpersuasive and unserious. Georgian dream did not fulfill its obligations – appointment of judges without the ‘ambitious judicial reform’ is a good demonstration of that”, the MEP said at a press conference, noting that ‘this is not the first time Georgian Dream breaks its promise’.
This regrettable decision did not benefit Georgia, its people, its international friends. Georgian Dream’s decision benefited the Kremlin. It is clear, that after trust is breached, we cannot go back to ‘business as usual’”, she added.
Viola von Cramon also stated that the opposition United National Movement’s ‘unconstructive actions and refusal to sign the agreement gave Georgian Dream a convenient pretext’.
The people of Georgia deserve better, they deserve politicians who put the country’s interests above everything else. Hereby, I commend all opposition parties that stay committed to the agreement and to the obligations they have taken”, she said.
Reiterating that the EU stands with the people of Georgia ‘in their struggle for a just and democratic state’, Viola von Cramon said ‘this is why it is important for every Georgian to exercise their constitutional rights and vote in the local elections’.
Therefore, Viola von Cramon said, the EU 'will do everything possible to makes sure that our observers are on the ground and contribute to the transparent elections'.
In her remarks Viola von Cramon also expressed support to Georgian media, and especially to those 53 journalists who were brutally attacked by violent groups on July 5, saying that the Georgian Dream’s statements that ‘failed to properly condemn the impunity or even emboldened the perpetrators are a very dangerous sign of backsliding democracy’.
Protecting Media, even one as polarised as it is in Georgia, is a fundamental EU value. Other EU values are embodied in its motto „United in Diversity“. Diversity means protecting everyone and everything – culture, traditions, religion but also minorities”, she said.
As a lead Member of the European Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG) for Georgia, Viola von Cramon was tasked with leading a high-level mission in order to support dialogue between Georgian political parties and share European experience.
However, she said after the full-scale mission in July was cancelled due to the very high number of Covid-19 cases, she decided to hold the meetings at the Georgian Parliament without other members of our delegation.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has annulled its signatory status to the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which resolved a six-month political crisis in the country following the 2020 parliamentary elections and proposed large-scale electoral and judiciary reforms.
The opposition is unanimous in its statements that the ruling party ‘acted in a very irresponsible way and betrayed the country’s western course.’ However, they believe that ‘hasty decisions made by the opposition ‘may further damage the state interests.’
Three leading members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Marina Kaljurand, Sven Mikser and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel are ‘surprised and disappointed by the unexpected decision’ of the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw unilaterally from the April 19 agreement brokered by European Council President Charles Michel.
MEP Viola von Cramon is now holding informal meetings in Tbilisi with Georgian opposition parties and members following the recent decision of the Georgian Dream ruling party to withdraw from the April 19 EU-mediated agreement.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said earlier today that the implementation of reforms will continue despite the ruling Georgian Dream party’s withdrawal from the EU-mediated agreement which ended the six-month political crisis caused by the parliamentary elections of 2020. The April 19 agreement obliged all signatory parties to participate in the process of fundamental electoral and judicial reforms’ implementation.