The Chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael Roth, during a trip to Georgia, heard numerous confirmations from observers that the parliamentary elections were rigged. The politician believes that the only way to influence Georgia's pro-Russian government is to revoke its visa-free regime.

At the beginning of this week, a delegation of parliamentarians from eight European Union countries (the Baltic states, Finland, France, Germany, Poland, and Sweden) visited Georgia. Among the delegation was Michael Roth, Chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee. He shared with DW why European parliamentarians were unable to meet with representatives of the ruling "Georgian Dream" party in Tbilisi, commented on the parliamentary elections, called for EU sanctions against those responsible for electoral manipulation, and described the revocation of the visa-free regime as the only measure capable of influencing the Georgian government.
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"We would have gladly met with representatives of the Georgian government or the ruling 'Georgian Dream' party. But these gentlemen once again sharply rejected our request for a meeting. I find this very regrettable because a country aspiring to become a member of the European Union should see us not as enemies but as partners. Even if we have differing opinions, it is better to talk to each other than about each other," noted the Bundestag deputy.

According to him, the delegation met with 300 observers of the parliamentary elections, who confirmed numerous violations by the pro-Russian regime.

"Reports from the independent European observer mission are absolutely clear. They document many instances of electoral manipulation, especially through voter intimidation or vote-buying. This is incompatible with European and international standards for democratic elections. Therefore, we demand an independent investigation into these very serious and unequivocal accusations. Until such an investigation is conducted, I recommend that everyone, including the European Union, refuse to recognize these elections," Michael Roth continued.

The politician believes that the European Union should impose sanctions on those responsible for election manipulations.

"The policies pursued by the Georgian government resemble Russian authoritarianism more than the free democratic order of the European Union. Laws that criminalize civil society or representatives of sexual minorities are unacceptable. Laws passed in the interests of oligarchs are also incompatible with the EU's legal consciousness. This means that politicians from the ruling party who claim they still want to bring Georgia into the EU are lying. The visa-free regime cannot be a gift to authoritarian regimes; it must be earned. So far, the visa-free regime has been a great opportunity for Georgia, especially for its young residents, to bring them closer to the European Union. Such contacts are very important. It seems to me that this step is the only one capable of influencing Georgia’s ruling party," Michael Roth concluded.

Source: https://www.dw.com