On December 20, Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia, addressed the Italian Senate’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and the European Affairs Committee. 

She outlined the political crisis in Georgia, highlighting electoral fraud, institutional complicity, and citizens' aspirations for EU membership. Zourabichvili criticized the Georgian Dream (GD) party for its anti-democratic actions, emphasizing the need for new elections to preserve democracy, freedom, and Georgia’s European trajectory.

The President condemned the October 26 elections as “pre-planned” and conducted in a “Russian-style” manner, citing widespread fraud and judiciary failures to uphold electoral justice. She criticized the Constitutional Court for rejecting appeals. She labeled GD's decision to convene parliament's first session without her authorization as unconstitutional. Zourabichvili argued that these actions eroded trust in Georgia’s institutions.

Zourabichvili described the election fraud as part of Russia’s “hybrid war” strategy, stating that Georgia was a testing ground for this approach. She accused GD of steering Georgia towards Russia’s sphere of influence, citing laws like the “foreign agent” law and restrictions on civil liberties as examples of Russian-inspired governance. She declared herself the “last independent institution” resisting this trajectory.

On December 20, Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, proposed amending the “foreign agent” law during his visit to Georgia. Opposition parties criticized his stance, calling it irresponsible and contrary to the Council of Europe’s principles. They urged the repeal of anti-democratic laws and new elections under a legitimate government.

On December 21, Latvia imposed travel bans on 13 Georgian citizens on December 20, citing indefinite restrictions under immigration laws. Foreign Minister Baiba Braže stated that these individuals were declared personae non gratae for unspecified reasons.

On December 22, Zourabichvili addressed protesters on Rustaveli Avenue, reaffirming her call for new elections. Speaking from the symbolic site of the First Georgian Gymnasium, she declared her readiness to negotiate with Ivanishvili. Despite technical disruptions during her speech, she praised the protesters' peaceful and resolute stance, symbolizing Georgia’s European aspirations.

Moreover, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze threatened Zourabichvili with imprisonment if she persisted in challenging the government. He dismissed her demands for new elections as baseless and warned against violating the criminal code. Zourabichvili maintained that only elections could resolve Georgia’s political crisis and vowed to use all available means to achieve this goal.