Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has supported a suggestion to create criminal penalties for refusing to ‘recognise the legitimacy of constitutional bodies’ or calling on others to do so. The proposal comes in the wake of the highly contested 2024 parliamentary elections in Georgia, which have led many in the opposition — as well as abroad — to refer to the government under the ruling Georgian Dream party as illegitimate.
The legislation was first suggested by Georgian Dream MP Levan Machavariani during a parliamentary session on Tuesday.
In his reasoning for the proposed law, Machavariani referenced Germany, where he said a ‘certain political movement’ was banned in 2025 for creating ‘parallel governing structures’ and denying the legitimacy of the government. He was apparently referring to the radical ‘cult-like’ group Kingdom of Germany (KRD), which seeks to return the country to a pre-WWI-era monarchy. The movement was banned in 2025.
Fellow Georgian Dream MP Archil Gorduladze, who also serves as the head of the parliament’s legal affairs committee, then suggested Georgia should learn from ‘Germany’s experience’.
‘When individuals publicly call on others not to recognize the legitimacy of constitutional bodies, call on others not to comply with Georgian legislation, while simultaneously promoting campaigns claiming that the government elected by the Georgian people is controlled by foreign forces, in this case, responsibility should be established, including criminal liability’.
Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili also referenced the KRD, saying, ‘there was violence in Germany, including threats against judges, police officers, and public officials. Do not we recall similar threats against judges, police officers, and public officials in Georgia?’.
Kobakhidze then described the proposal as ‘very important’ and said he hoped ‘the parliament will see the adoption of this bill through to the end’.
‘This is necessary for our system to stabilise, for our country to stabilise, and for a very healthy democratic order to be established’, he added.
Davit Zedelashvili
