UK Embassy Cancels Election Support Grants in Georgia Citing Legal Uncertainty
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, June 12, 2025
The British Embassy in Tbilisi has canceled several grants planned to support transparency and competitiveness in Georgia's upcoming municipal elections, citing uncertainty created by recent amendments to the country's Law on Grants. These changes require foreign donors to obtain government approval before funding local initiatives.
In a June 11 statement, the Embassy said it had sought approval for "several grants to support Georgian civil society organizations working on voter education and citizen electoral monitoring," noting that "the Central Election Commission (CEC) had confirmed that these are valuable activities."
However, the Embassy added that "following discussion with the Georgian authorities, we have been told that the planned Government Decree establishing a procedure for grant approvals is not finalized, and therefore no mechanism or timeframe currently exists for grant approval decisions."
"Due to this uncertainty, we have reluctantly had to cancel our grant plans to support the transparency and competitiveness of the upcoming municipal elections," the statement continued.
The announcement follows fast-tracked legal amendments by the ruling Georgian Dream party that broaden the definition of grants to include technical assistance and knowledge-sharing, further tightening government control over foreign-funded civil society activities. These changes accompany Georgia's controversial "foreign agents" laws, which have drawn widespread criticism for targeting independent media and NGOs.
Shortly after the UK's announcement, online media outlet Tabula said it was set to receive a £50,000 grant to cover the elections. "The regime did not respond to the UK government in a timely manner. After this, the British government canceled the project and informed Georgian society about the regime's anti-democratic actions," the outlet said. It also pledged to continue "doing the Georgian job and defending Georgia's European course."
The British Embassy also criticized the Georgian government for not inviting international observers from the OSCE/ODIHR, a step that was taken in previous elections. "Unlike the last municipal elections in Georgia, the government has not invited an OSCE/ODIHR monitoring mission," the Embassy noted, adding that it is "not facilitating grants for citizen election monitoring."
It warned that the absence of such independent observers "would represent a backwards step that could reduce public confidence in the transparency of the democratic process in Georgia."
The statement concluded by saying, "The United Kingdom reaffirms its readiness for dialogue on how it can support Georgia's democratic development and regrets this missed opportunity to promote objective, professional, and transparent scrutiny of October's municipal elections."
The elections are scheduled for October 4. Georgia's opposition remains divided on whether to participate, while Georgian Dream is expected to retain control of all municipalities.
