EU Social Democrat Group Meets Georgian Opposition Leaders in Tbilisi

A delegation from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament is holding meetings with representatives of Georgia’s opposition parties as part of a series of discussions addressing the country’s ongoing political crisis and post-election unrest.

The visiting MEPs are: Kathleen Van Brempt of Belgium, Nacho Sánchez Amor of Spain, and Tobias Cremer of Germany. The three are meeting today with members of the United National Movement (UNM) and the Coalition for Change, two of the opposition groups that have been spearheading recent protests, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.

The delegation is expected to meet later today with other opposition parties, including For Georgia, led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, whose representatives are scheduled to meet the MEPs at 11:30 am.

According to local media, the discussions center on recent political developments, including the government’s crackdown on opposition activists and organizers following the violent scenes outside the presidential residence last week. The meeting also touches on broader issues such as Georgia’s democratic trajectory, EU-Georgia relations, and media freedom, topics that have featured in recent exchanges between Tbilisi and Brussels.

On Thursday, the S&D delegation met with members of civil society organizations, including transparency watchdogs and human rights groups, to hear their perspectives on the situation in Georgia. Later today, the MEPs are expected to meet ex-President Salome Zourabichvili.