In a two-day monitoring visit on November 10–11, PACE co-rapporteurs Edite Estrela and Sabina Ćudić toured Tbilisi, engaging opposition figures like Tina Bokuchava of UNM, Lelo/Strong Georgia, and the Coalition for Change on alleged government repression and political prisoners, before meeting parliamentary leaders Shalva Papuashvili and Nikoloz Samkharadze to discuss elections, legislative reforms, EU-Georgia relations, and Georgia’s suspension from PACE, highlighting a tense but formal dialogue over democracy, sovereignty, and rule of law.

On November 10, the co-rapporteurs met with members of the United National Movement (UNM), Lelo/Strong Georgia, and the Coalition for Change. Tina Bokuchava, the UNM chair, emphasized that the meeting centered on the government’s initiative to outlaw opposition parties and the need for the release of political prisoners. She added that discussions also touched upon potential use of Council of Europe mechanisms to exert pressure on Bidzina Ivanishvili and what she described as the Georgian Dream’s "repressive regime".

On November 11, Edite Estrela and Sabina Ćudić met with Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of Georgian Parliament, and Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee. According to Parliament’s statement, the conversation focused on Georgia’s recent parliamentary and municipal elections, controversial legislation, EU-Georgia relations, and the ruling party’s Constitutional Court appeal seeking to ban key opposition parties.

Shalva Papuashvili welcomed the meeting and noted that Georgia had completed another electoral cycle, stating that the next three years "will be dedicated to the development of legal and institutional reforms". He maintained that there was "no evidence" of fraud in the 2024 parliamentary elections and questioned PACE’s resolution calling for snap elections adopted earlier this year. Referring to local elections, he said they were held "under the same conditions," highlighting that two opposition parties ended their boycott by participating. "This is yet another fact that indirectly confirms the allegations of fraud in the parliamentary elections were fabricated," Papuashvili stated.

The talks also covered legislative initiatives passed by Parliament. Papuashvili briefed the co-rapporteurs on recent amendments, stressing that "the laws being criticized are under consideration by the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights," and therefore urged to "refrain from political assessments and await the court decisions". Regarding EU-Georgia relations, Papuashvili informed the co-rapporteurs about Georgia’s progress in fulfilling its Association Agreement obligations. The statement added that the discussion also focused on the Constitutional Court case concerning the recognition of three opposition parties as unconstitutional. Papuashvili underlined that Georgia remained "a loyal member of PACE" and emphasized the importance of "respect for sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, and human rights" by the Assembly.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Nikoloz Samkharadze said that the co-rapporteurs raised the issue of Georgia’s suspended participation in PACE. "However, we clearly reiterated that our suspension of participation is due to the provision in one of PACE’s resolutions calling for snap elections. We told them this is a red line for us. We believe that this provision is politically motivated. If this position changes, our full participation in PACE will be restored," Samkharadze stated.

Notably, in January 2025, the Georgian parliamentary delegation to PACE announced it would withdraw its participation in the Assembly after PACE adopted a resolution demanding new parliamentary elections, the release of political prisoners, and a revision of laws in Georgia. PACE has passed multiple resolutions warning of “rapid democratic back-sliding” in Georgia. For example, in April 2025 it adopted a resolution condemning Georgia’s “deteriorating” situation, including crack-downs on protesters, journalists, civil society and changes to electoral law. More recently (October 2025) PACE co-rapporteurs issued a statement warning that efforts by Georgia’s ruling majority to ban major opposition parties would lead to “one-party dictatorship” and would be “incompatible with Council of Europe membership”. In reaction, Georgia’s ruling majority (the party Georgian Dream) has framed the PACE demands as unacceptable, unfair, and as interference in its sovereignty, thus entrenching a hostile tone.