Georgia’s ruling party official questions ‘double standard’ over party bans in Germany and Georgia

Levan Machavariani, the First Deputy Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the Parliament, on Wednesday questioned the double standard regarding political party bans. He pointed to Germany’s efforts to ban the AfD over rhetoric-based risks, contrasting this with the backlash Georgian authorities face for attempting to legally hold the former ruling United National Movement accountable for documented abuses during its nine years in power.

During an interview with Imedi TV, Machavariani defended the Georgian government’s move to legally challenge the United National Movement. Referring to a past exchange with a German journalist, Machavariani drew a parallel to Germany’s efforts to ban the AfD over perceived future risks. He argued that if such measures are considered acceptable in Germany, the same standard should apply to the UNM, citing the party's legacy of “torture, killings, rape, illegal surveillance, and business extortion” during its nine years in power.

“I asked the journalist why Germany was preparing to ban the AfD based on potential risks arising from its rhetoric, while simultaneously questioning Georgia for filing a constitutional complaint after nine years of documented abuses. I cited systemic torture confirmed by the European Court of Human Rights, the killings of young people, rape, the surveillance of private homes, and systemic racketeering. He had no answer”, Machavariani said.

He maintained that any other nation facing similar circumstances would act with equal, if not greater, severity.

Machavariani further accused the opposition of long-term sabotage, charging them with orchestrating chaos, planning a revolution, and promoting a strategy of “protests at home paired with sanctions from abroad”.