“We do not share the proposal that would seek to suspend the credentials of the Georgian delegation, and certainly not proposals that would seek to cut Georgia adrift from the Council of Europe. I believe that would be a serious mistake, a step that would risk isolating the country and pushing it even further away from the principles that this assembly embodies,” stated Elisabetta Gardini, a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in her speech at the session.

According to her, the members of the Assembly genuinely believe that the Georgian delegation will return soon, as dialogue is always preferable to silence, despite differences in positions.

“I’ve read with attention the resolution, and I think the concerns raised are justified and warrant serious debate: signs of democratic backsliding, tension between institutions, difficulties when it comes to fully guaranteeing the fundamental rights of citizens. Of course, none of this can leave us indifferent.

But it’s for that reason that we believe it’s essential that dialogue with Georgia remains open. It’s in moments of most difficulty that exchange and debate become even more necessary. So we do not share the proposal that would seek to suspend the credentials of the Georgian delegation, and certainly not proposals that would seek to cut Georgia adrift from the Council of Europe. I believe that would be a serious mistake, a step that would risk isolating the country and pushing it even further away from the principles that this assembly embodies.

I think we need to recall that when we say Georgia, we’re not just talking about the Georgian government. We’re talking about people who look with hope to Europe, a civil society that’s active and courageous. So many young people in Georgia who are fighting for the values that we share—freedom, democracy, the rule of law—and I think they have to feel our proximity and our support.

That being said, I think we need to be clear. Maintaining an open dialogue doesn’t mean signing a blank check to the Georgian government so that it can trample underfoot democratic principles. On the contrary. A young democracy such as Georgia cannot, nor should it have political prisoners. When a government ends up being afraid of its own citizens, it forfeits the very foundation on which its democratic legitimacy is based. In that case, it should have the courage to restore faith or trust in itself. Or if it’s not able to do that, then it should have the courage to enable the people to have their say and hold fresh elections.

So we address a clear and strong appeal to the Georgian authorities: Listen to the recommendations of this assembly. Take on board the observations of the Venice Commission, the Human Rights Commissioner, but in particular, listen to the voice being raised by civil society. We sincerely hope that the Georgian delegation can soon return to this chamber because even when the going is hard, even when positions are far removed from one another, dialogue is always preferable to silence.

Exchange and debate, if sincere, is the first step toward a shared solution. So we will stick to our principles, but we’re open when it comes to the methods to be employed. Our approach is balanced and serious, but we’ll never close the door to those who are prepared to make improvements, to remedy the situation closer to the values of this assembly.

So we need to play our part, not in order to please or punish, but rather to build together a Europe that is fairer, freer, and strongly entrenched in its own fundamental values”, Elisabetta Gardini said.