Bokuchava Tells EuroNest Georgia Has Become 'An Autocratic Dead End'
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, October 31, 2025
Tina Bokuchava, Chair of the United National Movement (UNM), delivered a strongly worded speech at the EuroNest Parliamentary Assembly, accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party of leading the country away from its European path and turning it into an autocratic state.
"It is a great honor for me to represent my country before you, the Georgian people, who bravely fight for the European flag and for the values on which the European project was built, a project of peace and prosperity," Bokuchava said. "One colleague asked me why there is no delegation from Georgian Dream. Because they do not want to hear the truth."
Bokuchava said that while other countries in the region were moving toward peace and progress, Georgia was heading in the opposite direction. "While Armenia and Azerbaijan have taken historic steps and opened new opportunities for lasting peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus, Georgia is becoming an autocratic dead end and a strategic base for Europe's rivals seeking political and economic influence," she told the assembly.
She contrasted Georgia's current situation with developments in neighboring states. "When Moldova proved through elections that Europe can win over Russia, and when Ukraine shows every day that it is worth fighting for Europe, Georgia, once the leader of the Associated Trio, has turned into a one-party dictatorship that is abandoning European integration and falling into Putin's embrace," she said.
Bokuchava accused the government of destroying democratic institutions and silencing dissent. "Economic integration is impossible when the social fabric is being violently torn apart by a regime that no longer represents its people," she said. "Families are being divided, citizens are living in fear, and peaceful protesters are being arrested simply for carrying the European flag."
She said Georgia now has "more political prisoners per capita than even Putin's Russia," adding that major opposition leaders are jailed, parties are banned through "a fake constitutional process," and journalists and academics face pressure and intimidation.
"But freedom-loving Georgians will not be silenced. We will not give up. We will fight while there is still time," Bokuchava declared.
She cited journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, whom she called "a symbol of the Georgian people's struggle for European integration." Amaghlobeli, currently imprisoned, was recently named a co-recipient of the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought alongside Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut. "This award is the greatest recognition of her and the Georgian people's fight against tyranny and injustice," Bokuchava said.
Bokuchava thanked the European Parliament for the recognition but urged EU member states to take stronger action. "International financial institutions must stop directing European taxpayers' money into the corrupt pockets of Georgia's autocratic ruler and his allies," she said. "Visa-free travel should be suspended for Bidzina Ivanishvili and those close to him. Sanctions must target the regime, not ordinary citizens, and they must be imposed immediately."
She warned that European inaction on Georgia would have wider consequences. "Failing to respond to the situation in Georgia only encourages similar behavior in Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia," she said. "Taking action is not just a moral duty but a necessary step for the safety and well-being of all our citizens."
"Together we are stronger, and today's important session is proof of that," Bokuchava said.
