Georgian PM dismisses “talk about sanctions” against Gov’t amid public protests “unserious”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday dismissed the talk about sanctions imposition as “unserious”, in his comments over the possible activation of visa suspension mechanism by the European Union against “certain categories of persons”, amid the ongoing public protests against the Government’s decision to delay the EU accession talks until 2028.

“When certain individuals, politicians and bureaucrats equate LGBT propaganda with the EU integration, it is extremely concerning”, Kobakhidze stressed, referencing alleged external pressure on the ruling Georgian Dream party to repeal the law on family values and protection of minors passed by the Parliament in September 2024.

The PM argued the law stipulated that “same-sex partnership should not be legalised, [...] that gender transition through surgical intervention is not allowed in Georgia”, adding people “cannot be coerced into using gender-neutral terminology with regards to sex” and “the law cannot define the so-called spectrum of genders other than male and female”.

The head of the Government pointed out the law was “simple” and concerned “simple issues”, saying “If anyone had started talking seriously about such matters 20 years ago, they would have probably been surprised”, however, “we are dealing with different realities nowadays”, in which “we are told that other than a man and a woman, other sexes should also be written in the law”.

Kobakhidze called this attitude - “in addition to a man and a woman, to include many other genders in the law” - “inconceivable”, claiming “some people tell us this and European integration are the same” and adding this was not a “right approach” as it seriously harmed “the reputation of the European institutions in Georgian society”.