MEP Juknevičienė: Ivanishvili won’t return Georgia to EU path

Member of the European Parliament Rasa Juknevičienė on Friday claimed that Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party and current state authorities would not restore the country’s path toward the European Union or embrace democratic principles.

"I am sure that Bidzina Ivanishvili will not return to the EU path. They will not become democratic. It is the same as believing that Putin will become democratic and apologize to everyone, or Lukashenko," Juknevičienė told Georgian broadcaster TV Pirveli.

She described the political situation in Georgia as “critical,” warning that conditions were deteriorating daily. In her view, the only viable solution was holding “new, fair elections,” as she dismissed any hopes for democratic reforms under the current government.

Juknevičienė also criticized the Georgian Dream's “control over the electoral process,” saying that “no significant improvements have been made” since the controversial parliamentary elections in October 2024. “Everything is still controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party,” she said, adding that most European lawmakers shared this view.

She also rebuked the government-affiliated media for misrepresenting the position of European officials by selectively quoting statements. “Unfortunately, the representatives of the de facto government media attempted to escalate the situation by publishing only half of our statement,” she said, emphasizing that any future elections “must be held in a genuinely free and fair environment.”

“If there are elections like the ones you had in October, with the same violations, then these elections will not be held. It is impossible to participate in such elections when it is clear that administrative resources will be used,” the MEP concluded.