The European Council warns that the banning of opposition in Georgia could lead to a "one-party dictatorship," in the context of the political crisis in the country.

The European Council expressed serious concerns regarding the request of the ruling party in Georgia to ban three main opposition forces, warning that this move could lead to a 'one-party dictatorship'. The Council's rapporteurs, Edite Estrela and Sabina Cudic, emphasized that banning democratic opposition would be incompatible with the status of a member of the Council of Europe. Georgia has been facing a political crisis since last year's contested parliamentary elections, and the opposition refuses to recognize the new government. The Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, accused the opposition of undermining the legitimacy of the government, while former president Salome Zurabishvili denounced this move as a step towards an authoritarian regime. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, has been accused of democratic backsliding and closeness to Russia, but it rejects these accusations, stating that it acts for stability. The Constitutional Court has nine months to decide on the request to ban the opposition.