Gruzija wants to become a member of the European Union, but does not want to take over what government representatives call "LGBTQ + propaganda" and "pseudoliberal values". The ruling party "Georgian Dream" recently proposed an amendment to the constitution that should "protect family values and minors", it writes Deutsche Welle.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, chairman of the parliamentary group of the "Georgian Dream" party, says that the constitutional change should define marriage exclusively as "the union of an independent genetic man and an independent genetic woman."
"And if someone wants to impose same-sex marriage on us," says Mdinaradze, "then we will say: our constitution forbids it."
Those familiar with the situation estimate that the changes will be adopted only later this year, probably only after the elections in October. If they are accepted, it will not only apply to same-sex marriages. Then any gathering related to LGBTQ+ persons would be illegal, all measures to equalize the rights of homosexual and heterosexual persons, as well as the adoption of children by same-sex couples, would be prohibited.
Weapons in the pre-election campaign
Opposition politicians and civil society groups condemn the initiative to change the constitution and say it is populist. Some believe that the ruling party is instrumentalizing the conservative attitudes of the population in order to win more votes in the parliamentary elections in October. This has consequences for the opposition as well.
"The opposition is in an extremely difficult situation. If she stands up for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, it could hurt her in the elections, because Georgian society is quite conservative," Korneli Kakachija, professor of political science and director of the Georgian Institute of Politics in Tbilisi, told DW.
At the moment, it is difficult whether the "Georgian Dream" will be able to push it through the parliament, says constitutional law expert Vakhushti Menabde.
"They don't have enough deputies to change the constitution, but it cannot be ruled out that they will win some opposition politicians to their side," says Menabde.
What worries Menabdea above all is that such a change of the constitution could divide Georgian society and ignite conflicts between certain social groups.
Foreign agents
The proposals from Tbilisi are similar to those it recently adopted Moscow. Critics accuse Prime Minister Iraklia Kobachidze, who has been in office since February, of wanting to bring his country closer to Russia.
The government of Georgia has already followed Russia, trying to introduce the so-called "foreign agents" law. According to it, organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their income from abroad would have to register as "foreign agents". In fact, as human rights activists claim, such laws are directed against opposition groups and civil society initiatives. After massive and partly violent demonstrations last year, the government in Tbilisi suspended that law.
Now the proposed change to the constitution on LGBTQ+ people is seen by many as a new edition of the "Russian law". Because, "the fact is that no country in the world has an interest in anti-democratic development in Georgia - except Russia. That's why I see it as a 'Russian law,'" Pata Zakareishvili, former Georgian Minister of Reconciliation and Civil Equality, told Radio Free Europe.
Violence against LGBTQ+
Despite the efforts to join the European Union, Georgian society is inclined towards conservative values. The Georgian Orthodox Church, for example, is one of the most important institutions of that country and it plays a crucial role in both politics and society.
According to a 2022 survey by the UN Commission on Women's Rights, 56 percent of people in Georgia believe that the rights of LGBTQ+ people must be protected. But, at the same time, they declare that "the members of that group should not impose their way of life on others".
In July 2023, far-right protesters attacked "Tbilisi Pride". Dozens of people were injured, including journalists, and the procession had to be canceled. Organizers of "Tbilisi Pride" accuse the Ministry of Internal Affairs and anti-Western groups of staging coordinated attacks.
Conditions for EU membership
"Georgia, as a candidate for accession to the European Union, is expected to harmonize its laws with EU law," the Union delegation in Georgia announced.
"A candidate country for accession must have stable institutions in order to guarantee respect for human rights and the protection of minorities, which are conditions for membership in the European Union," the EU delegation announced.
In December of last year, the heads of state and government of the EU granted Georgia candidate status. The European Commission set nine conditions, among which are: opposition to the political division of the country, better protection of human rights and prevention of external interference in internal politics. It seems that the proposed change to the constitution is not in accordance with those conditions.
The government in Tbilisi is trying to balance between two opposing goals, political scientist Kroneli Kakachi says.
"In order to remain in power, the ruling party must also stay on the EU course, because more than 80 percent of Georgians support this." At the same time, they started dictating their own conditions to Brussels - they want to be like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán," says Kakačia.
Orban has a good relationship with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and has repeatedly blocked aid to Ukraine. "But Hungary is already a member of the EU," notes Kakačia.
