MEP Rasa Juknevičienė says Georgia is in a crisis caused by the country's leaders, Irakli Kobakhidze and Bidzina Ivanishvili, "betraying the European path."

The MEP will present her own plan for overcoming the crisis.

In her opinion, all responsible Georgians, including members of the ruling Georgian Dream, the opposition, civil society, the President and the international community, should immediately begin negotiations on a political solution to the crisis.

“The first step should be: an immediate decision by the Georgian government to end police and riot police violence, the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri, the formation of an interim technical government of national unity, the process to be led by President Salome Zurabishvili, an international investigation into the crimes and atrocities committed against journalists, opposition members and protesters led by the European Union, immediate and individual sanctions from the European Union and transatlantic partners against Bidzina Ivanishvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, Vakhtang Gomelauri and all those responsible for the crimes and atrocities, an agreement by Georgian political parties to hold new parliamentary elections within three months, to be organized with the assistance of democratic partners from the international community,” the MEP’s statement reads.

Rasa Juknevičienė said that preparations for the formation of a national unity government should begin after the new parliamentary elections. The MEP believes that negotiations and reaching an agreement between Georgian political forces and civil society should be carried out with the assistance of international partners and representatives of the European Union.