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The approach of the Georgian Dream Government towards the European integration process is unconstitutional 12.06.2022

12.06.2022
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We, NGOs, are echoing the statement made by a representative of the ruling party in response to the critical resolution passed by the European Parliament, who said that Georgia should reject the EU candidate status if it receives it on unfair terms. Later Prime Minister Gharibashvili emphasized the symbolic nature of the EU candidate status.

We believe that similar irresponsible and dangerous statements not only extremely damage the country's European integration process and contradict the Constitution of Georgia, but also seriously endanger the European choice of the vast majority of the Georgian population.

According to Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia, the constitutional bodies are obliged to take all measures within their powers to ensure Georgia's full integration into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Obtaining the status of an EU candidate country is a mandatory step in the process of getting EU membership, without which no European country will be able to join the Union. Prime Minister Gharibashvili's attempts to decline the status of an EU candidate country and to emphasize its "symbolic" nature pose a serious threat to the strengthening of Eurosceptic attitudes among the population and are in compliance with the Russian narratives about the inadmissibility of Georgia's accession to the EU.

The statements made by the ruling party's top officials and the Prime Minister show that senior political officials are not well aware of the importance of their constitutional obligations, which imply the removal of all obstacles to the country's European integration and irreversible implementation of democratic reforms.

We, the signatory organizations, call on the Government:
to immediately confirm its readiness through a parliamentary resolution, unwaveringly adhere to the European aspirations of the Georgian society and announce specific steps that the Georgian Government must take in the coming days;
to immediately submit to the EU and the people of Georgia a plan outlining the systemic solutions to the problems indicated in the European Parliament resolution;
to immediately stop dangerous and culpable rhetoric that minimizes Georgia's chances of gaining EU candidate status.
Signatories:
Democracy Research Institute (DRI)
Civic Idea
Democracy Index – Georgia
Open Society Foundation
Europe-Georgia Institute
Green Alternative
Human Rights Center
Atlantic Council of Georgia
Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI)
Georgian Young Lawyers Association
Sapari
Rondeli Foundation
International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)
Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC)
Social Justice Center (former EMC)
Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI)
Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS)
Rights Georgia.
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