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The Georgian government will not retreat from its plans to ban the entire parliamentary opposition and LGBTQ+ activism if it wins the critical election next month, despite opposition from the European Union, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has declared.
Speaking on Tuesday, Kobakhidze responded to reports in Georgian media that the EU was considering revoking the country’s visa-free travel agreement due to concerns over democratic backsliding and rule-of-law violations. The prime minister dismissed the claims, calling them an “attempt at cheap blackmail” and accusing the EU of unfairly punishing Georgian society. He insisted that the move would not affect the upcoming election.