**EU Must Act to Counter Georgia’s Sliding Authoritarianism**
The European Union must take decisive action against the Georgian government, writes MEP Richards Kols in a recent post on his social media page. The call for action comes as Georgia continues its slide into authoritarianism, with a new law that severely restricts foreign aid to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), media outlets, and civic groups.
The new law, pushed through by the ruling Georgian Dream party (GD), essentially gives the government control over what foreign funding these groups can receive. This has serious implications for civil society in Georgia, which relies heavily on international support to operate freely and independently. The move is a clear attempt to silence dissenting voices and maintain the GD’s grip on power.
MEP Richards Kols draws parallels between this development and the authoritarian playbook of Belarus’s President Lukashenka. “This is state capture,” he writes, underscoring the severity of the situation. By emulating such tactics, Georgia is losing its democratic credentials and heading towards a full-blown authoritarian regime.
**EU Must Take a Firm Stance**
The European Parliament has already responded to this worrying trend by rejecting Georgia’s 2024 elections as illegitimate. MEP Richards Kols now calls on the EU to take concrete action, including imposing sanctions on Georgian officials responsible for this draconian law. He also advocates for a full policy reset in relations with Tbilisi, which would involve reassessing the EU’s engagement with the country and potentially even reevaluating its participation in key European programs.
Kols’ message is clear: there should be no illusions about the GD’s intentions to maintain power at any cost. The time has come for the EU to take a firm stance against Georgia’s authoritarian slide, using all available tools to defend democracy and human rights in this small but crucial corner of Europe. By doing so, Brussels can send a strong signal that it will not tolerate such actions from any government within its purview.
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