According to Tazo Datunashvili, a member of the Lelo–Strong Georgia party, it is a tragedy that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) describes the current situation in Georgia as the establishment of a dictatorship.

Datunashvili emphasised that this harsh reality cannot be obscured by diplomatic language, and he believes it is correct for PACE to take this stance.

He responded to statements made by PACE representatives Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC) and Sabina Cudic (Bosnia and Herzegovina, ALDE) regarding Georgia.

“This organisation has been a member of Georgia since 1999. During Shevardnadze’s era, Georgia was accepted into this organisation with the hope that our Western partners recognised the country’s potential; that Georgia, after a long pause, would manage to return to the European family. It is a tragedy for Georgian statehood that today, this organisation considers the political situation in Georgia as the establishment of a dictatorship. But this is the truth, and diplomatic language cannot and should not disguise it. It is crucial to speak frankly at the right moment, and PACE is right to express this position now.

The key point is that, in a democratic and civilised society, one that understands its own national interests, cares for the well-being of its citizens, and takes responsibility, it is simply unacceptable to have all opposition leaders imprisoned or subject to political persecution. This cannot be justified, and PACE is making this clear.

This is a very strong message for the Georgian Dream, a call for the so-called government to come to its senses, for the Ivanishvili regime to recognise the gravity of the situation, and to steer the country back to the path that the overwhelming majority of Georgians desire: integration into the European Union.

It is a tragedy that from 1999 to 2025, Georgia’s trajectory has led to PACE’s assessment of the current political climate as the establishment of a dictatorship. There remains a chance to reverse this course if the Georgian Dream halts the destructive process in which the entire population is being dragged into, but time is of the essence,” concluded Tazo Datunashvili.