One hundred days have passed. One hundred days during which Georgian citizens took to the streets to demand their freedom, their rights, with clear and unequivocal demands: new free, transparent, democratic elections, and the release of political prisoners unjustly imprisoned in state jails, guilty of having fought to defend a free, modern, democratic Georgia. European. One hundred days that, despite the difficulties imposed by severe police repression, acting under the control of the ‘Georgian Dream’ party, represent a clear choice: that of Georgians who desire rights and democracy. A choice expressed through the constant display of European flags in the square next to the flag of Sakartvelo – and of Ukraine – as a symbol of the possibility of building a country based on and embodying the rule of law.

The pro-Russian government’s attack on the rule of law

It is one hundred days of resistance against what is now a full-fledged regime. A regime that, a year ago, began preparing the ground for transforming Georgia into an autocratic state by promoting the law ‘against foreign agents’ and amending Article 36 of the Constitution. The latter, which spoke of the ‘equality of spouses’, was changed to explicitly state that marriage must be between a man and a woman. The amendment of Article 36 was accompanied by anti-Western rhetoric, with the argument of ‘resisting moral colonisation’. The European Union spoke out clearly through former European Commission Vice-President Josep Borrell, pointing out that the anti-LGBT law would undermine fundamental rights, increasing discrimination and stigmatisation. Moreover, it would imply Georgia’s progressive distancing from fundamental European values, slowing down the country’s EU accession process. For the governing party ‘Georgian Dream’, European advice on the protection of human and civil rights are seen as obstacles. It is no coincidence that, already in the first week of its inauguration, the government blocked negotiations to join the big European family. That blockade triggered a series of restrictive measures, starting with parliamentary work to further restrict freedom of the press and freedom of demonstration.

We have repeatedly stated that restrictions on press freedom are historically the first step towards the establishment of an authoritarian regime. The laws currently in force and being passed by a parliament de facto deprived of its democratic functions are aimed at censoring the national media and restricting the possibilities of expression, especially critical expression, of the entire Georgian civil society. The legislative proposal related to the restriction of press freedom is even more damaging to democracy than the one on ‘foreign agents’ passed last year: in essence, the law on ‘Foreign Agents and Media Transparency’ obliges Georgian NGOs and media organisations that receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to register as ‘organisations acting in the interests of a foreign power’, thus being subject to strict monitoring every six months. Refusal to comply with the registration obligation leads to heavy fines. Proponent of the draft law Mamuka Mdinaradze (Georgian Dream), leader of the parliamentary majority, emphasised that ‘standards for media objectivity and journalistic ethics’ are ready to be enacted, especially for those newspapers and organisations that receive funding from other countries. In essence, independent media will no longer be able to call themselves or, in fact, be independent.

The decisions of the Georgian regime prompted the European Parliament to make important political decisions. Indeed, on 13 February, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that, with 400 votes in favour, 63 against and 81 abstentions, declared that it does not recognise the current Georgian government, which is undermining the country’s democratic institutions. The European Parliament also decided to recognise Salome Zourabichvili as the legitimate President of Georgia, inviting her to represent the country in meetings of the European Council and the European Political Community. A courageous choice at last, which is the first step in the defence of all those who have been taking to the streets for a hundred days: a choice that will have to evolve and be strongly substantiated in the coming weeks, especially in order to protect the journalists and women journalists who are now victims of the regime. The symbolic case is that of Mzia Amaghlobeli, a journalist and director of independent Georgian newspapers Netgazeti and Batumelebi, who was arrested and sentenced by the Batumi Court. A decision harshly condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which called it disproportionate, especially considering the numerous attacks to which journalists were subjected during the protests for entry into the European Union.

The repression of Georgian society and its rights

Georgia is indeed facing a dramatic situation, with the rapid decline of press freedom, as confirmed by the European Press Freedom Report, produced by the Council of Europe in cooperation with several NGOs. The report reflects the situation that we have been describing for some time: during the October elections, some Russian networks spread false information, contributing to a massive work of disinformation and the sharing of conspiracy theories, in order to discredit the groups in favour of joining the European Union, and in general a rapprochement with the West in opposition to theincreasingly threatening and authoritarian Russian orbit. The NGOs that monitor press freedom, which were also present as observers in October during the Georgian elections, found that professional men and women journalists in Georgia find themselves in the condition of operating within a system characterised by authoritarian dynamics, and seventy journalists suffered physical and verbal aggression and violence in an attempt to obstruct their work.

Georgia’s European dream shattered by Russian propaganda

In October, with Radical Europe, we were in Tbilisi during the elections, and the pro-European sentiment of the people around the city, in the polling stations, in the squares, made us realise that they would not give up easily: today, in fact, more than one hundred days of protests have passed, despite the continuous police repression. The pro-Russian ‘Georgian Dream’ party is trying to shift the axis of civil rights, making Georgia more and more like Russia. The introduction of the ‘Transparency of Foreign Influence’ laws threatens the existence of independent media, weakens civil society, restricts freedoms of demonstration, and makes independent journalists increasingly vulnerable, as evidenced by the confirmation of Amaghlobeli’s arrest. Georgia’s legal regression distances the country from the fundamental and democratic principles necessary for EU membership. It is therefore necessary to hold new elections that reflect respect for citizens’ civil rights.

We know that the European Parliament resolution of 13 February will have to be followed by other acts, not only at the European level, but also by individual countries. For months we have been asking the Italian government to take a clear position and not to recognise the government of the Georgian Dream party, under the influence of the pro-Russian oligarch Ivanishvili. So far, we have received no response. We will continue to stand by the side of the Georgian people.