Responding to the inauguration of the new Georgian ‘President’ today, we, the Presidents of Liberal International and ALDE Party stand united and issue a following statement:

The recent one-party election orchestrated by the Georgian Dream (GD) party, culminating in the appointment of the only candidate – Mikheil Kavelashvili as their ‘president,’ represents a clear violation of democratic norms and an affront to the will of the Georgian people. Such actions erode trust in the democratic process, undermine the rule of law, and threaten Georgia’s aspirations for integration into the democratic international community.

We reaffirm our unwavering support for Salome Zourabichvili as the legitimate President of Georgia, and do not recognise Mikheil Kavelashvili as President and regard his appointment as neither the result of a free, fair, and competitive election nor reflective of the Georgian people’s democratic choice.

President Zourabichvili has demonstrated her commitment to upholding Georgia’s democratic foundations, safeguarding its constitutional integrity, and fostering closer ties with the European Union and the broader democratic world.

We urge the international community to remain vigilant and united in supporting the Georgian people’s right to freely determine their leadership and enjoy their fundamental rights and freedoms without fear of repression.

We are very concerned with the repercussions on dissenting voices as documented by human rights NGOs and welcome the introduction of sanctions by the United States on individuals involved in these unconstitutional actions including Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and call on countries to follow suit as a consequence of the democratic backsliding we are witnessing.

Georgia’s promise as a democratic nation can only be realised through respect for human rights, adherence to the rule of law, and commitment to democratic governance.