On February 13, the European Parliament adopted a resolution by a majority vote, effectively declaring the Georgian Dream government illegitimate. The resolution also refers to the administration of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze as a de facto government. European lawmakers have called on EU institutions to impose sanctions against a wide range of officials within the ruling party, led by Bidzina Ivanishvili.

This marks another setback for Georgian Dream, coming just two weeks after PACE (the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) postponed recognition of Georgia’s new parliamentary delegation. PACE demanded the release of political prisoners and the organization of new parliamentary elections as conditions for restoring legitimacy. However, Georgian Dream has dismissed European resolutions, attributing them to a so-called "Deep State" conspiracy.

In response to the European Parliament’s resolution, Georgian Dream asserted that the decision harms not Georgia but the EU itself. MEPs, condemning what they describe as the ruling party’s anti-democratic and anti-European policies, referred to the Georgian Dream government as self-proclaimed and the administration of Irakli Kobakhidze as de facto.

Speaking from Dubai, where he was attending the World Government Summit, Kobakhidze expressed disappointment over the resolution:

"This is already the sixth resolution adopted by the European Parliament against our country. This is a very sad development, but it will not harm our statehood, our country, or the independence of the media in Georgia."

Kobakhidze accused the resolution’s authors of supporting Georgia’s former leadership, referring specifically to Mikheil Saakashvili. He also claimed that the decision bore the influence of the so-called "Deep State" and the "global war party."

The Georgian Dream political council issued a similar statement, referencing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about the "Deep State" and citing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent criticism of European institutions.

"In response to today’s resolution, we would like to state that either the ‘Deep State’ will destroy the European Union, or the EU will find the strength to free itself from its influence. Just as we support President Trump in his fight against the ‘Deep State,’ we wish Europe success in overcoming its harmful influence. In this struggle, we stand with patriotic Europeans. We also recall Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s statement that ‘European institutions cannot be taken seriously.’ Unfortunately, today, it is absolutely impossible to take the European Parliament seriously," the statement read.

The resolution adopted on February 13 states that the European Parliament "refuses to recognize the self-proclaimed authority of the ruling Georgian Dream party following the rigged parliamentary elections of October 26, 2024, including the newly appointed President Mikheil Kavelashvili, and calls on the international community to join the boycott of Georgia’s ruling elite."

MEPs reaffirmed their recognition of Salome Zurabishvili as the legitimate President of Georgia and urged European Council President António Costa to invite her to represent Georgia at upcoming meetings of the European Council and the European Political Community.

According to the European Parliament, the only way to resolve the crisis is to hold new parliamentary elections "within the next few months, in an improved electoral environment, under the supervision of an independent and impartial electoral administration and international observers."