Worldwide, interference in other countries’ elections is increasingly being observed, including in the U.S. and various EU countries. In this context, if a German government official tells you to vote against Georgian Dream, a Georgian citizen abroad cannot simply ignore such instructions, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said while discussing changes proposed in the new Electoral Code.

He stated that in the 2024 parliamentary elections, Michael Roth, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag and a representative of the German government, recorded a video in Berlin and was actively involved in voter “mobilization and pressure.”

According to Papuashvili, in 2024, representatives of EU countries intervened directly and bluntly in the elections to achieve results favorable to them.

“Our citizens abroad are under foreign jurisdiction, where the Georgian state cannot protect them, including regarding their electoral rights. Worldwide, interference in other countries’ elections is increasing, as noted in the U.S. and various EU states. We witnessed this in 2024 when representatives of EU countries directly and blatantly interfered in our elections to secure results favorable to them. The EU ambassador directly participated in an anti-Georgian Dream campaign, and foreign ministers held rallies. How can we trust that they will not pressure our citizens abroad to achieve electoral outcomes they desire?

There is evidence: Michael Roth, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag and a German government representative, recorded a video in Berlin before the 2024 elections and was involved in voter mobilization and pressure. If a German government representative tells you to vote against Georgian Dream, a sane Georgian citizen abroad cannot simply ignore it.

We also saw incidents in the U.S., Germany, and other countries where diaspora representatives threatened Georgian Dream supporters with deportation. There was even a public statement in which a Georgian person threatened someone directly, with information being passed on to authorities, including the German government. Such situations occurred prior to the 2024 elections.

These changes, among other things, aim to protect the rights of the diaspora and relieve them from pressure.”

When asked about the example of Michael Roth’s video, Papuashvili explained that when a citizen abroad sees a high-ranking government official directly instructing: “Georgians, organize yourselves, register, and vote against Georgian Dream,” it inevitably affects them.

“The outcome — who votes and how — is another matter, but the fact that pressure is being applied is undeniable. Michael Roth recorded a video message before the 2024 elections, urging Georgian citizens on how to register and to vote against Georgian Dream. This is done by one of the highest-ranking officials. If a person fears that their legal status might be questioned, seeing such instructions directly from a senior government official creates significant influence. Does this make any sense? Look at Michael Roth’s tweet from October 1, 2024!”

Notably, under the new Electoral Code draft, many electoral norms and procedures will change. One key change is that Georgian citizens abroad will not be able to vote in parliamentary elections; as with municipal elections, parliamentary elections will be held only within Georgia’s state borders.

The draft and its authors are Georgian Dream MPs: Archil Gorduladze, Tornike Cheishvili, Rati Ionatamishvili, Aluda Gghudushauri, Davit Matikashvili, Guram Macharashvili, Akaki Aladashvili, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, and Aleksandre Tabatadze.