On a recent summer evening, members of the Liberal Democrat European Group were able to join an online webinar, chaired by David Chalmers of our Federal International Relations Committee, to hear directly from our Georgian sister parties in ALDE. Representatives from Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Girchi – More Freedom, and Droa spoke openly and courageously about the deepening political crisis in Georgia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country emerged as a democratic state, but that democracy is now under attack, influenced by their Russian neighbours. The message from all of the parties was urgent: democracy in their country is under attack, and the international community must take notice.
Tinatin, from Girchi – More Freedom, described how the Georgian Dream government has weaponised legislation inspired by Russia to silence dissent: “We protested the so-called ‘Russian law’—and they beat us on the streets. Three days later, the government withdrew it, only to reintroduce the same law, with a different name. That was just the beginning.” She spoke of mass arrests, attacks on NGOs, and the rigging of elections with fake IDs and votes being cast by people who had died long ago.
Marika from Droa added a stark observation: “This is the fastest descent into dictatorship anyone has seen. Georgia used to be a beacon of reform—now our government channels Kremlin propaganda, fosters ties with Iran and China, and jails anyone who stands in its way.” She highlighted that democratic leaders were imprisoned for refusing to legitimise a sham parliamentary commission intended to rewrite Georgia’s history in Russia’s favour. The opposition is intending to boycott the forthcoming municipal elections as these, like the recent national election, will be neither free nor fair. Participation in such elections would be seen as giving them legitimacy. As in Russia, the LGBT+ rights are under attack.
Despite all this, the spirit of resistance remains alive. Life continues to go on – the cafés and restaurants are full, but there are well-attended daily protests throughout the country. Citizens boycott regime-affiliated businesses. Leader of opposition political parties have already been arrested, and other activists risk prosecution to speak truth on social media or confront officials in public spaces. “We are protesting for our future, for European integration, for our freedom,” said Tinatin. “Many of those arrested are students, teachers, journalists—even 19-year-olds who simply dared to dream of a democratic Georgia.”
As we navigate the current political landscape of 2026, our party needs to develop a clear-eyed, long-term vision for rebuilding our relationship with our European neighbours. At the heart of this mission is the 
The second day of the ALDE Congress started with the usual family photo before heading off to the plenary session for passage of the resolutions. Given that most of them had been previously extensively discussed and compromise texts established, then most of the resolution were passed without any substantive opposition.
The first day was dominated by the elections to the ALDE Bureau, with the election of a new President and six new Vice Presidents. German MEP Svenja Hahn was the only candidate for the Presidency. She’s known to many Liberal Democrats as a former President of the youth movement, LYMEC, and spoke to the delegates of her love for the UK having spent some time working in St. Albans. Our own Sal Brinton was one of the candidates for the Vice Presidency. The results will be declared tomorrow morning.
The main Congress kicked off with speeches from current ALDE Presidents Timmy Dooley from Ireland and Ilhan Kyuchyuk from Bulgaria, who provided a thorough report on the activities of the past year. They talked about the recent elections which returned a much smaller Liberal group in the European Parliament. Unsurprisingly, a further theme of their address was the ongoing war in Ukraine. Their focus was on the crucial support provided by ALDE members to Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty and democracy. The pair underscored the importance of continued aid and diplomatic backing for the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia’s aggression.
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