Georgian Parliament official: around 150 political parties have been banned across Europe, 22 in Ukraine

Archil Gorduladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, on Wednesday said attempts were being made to create the impression that only five opposition parties existed in Georgia’s political landscape.

Speaking at a Constitutional Court hearing on the case seeking to ban several opposition parties, Gorduladze noted that there were precedents in Europe for banning more than five political parties.

He also highlighted the case of Spain, where three political parties were dissolved within four days.

“An attempt is being made to create the impression that these five parties are the only ones in Georgia’s political landscape, as if no other parties exist. In the last election, four parties crossed the electoral threshold. However, a total of 18 parties participated in the 2024 elections, while 12 took part in the 2025 elections. To claim that these are the only parties in Georgia and that no others exist is simply false information”, Gorduladze said.

“As for the claim that five parties have never been banned collectively, even before the Herri Batasuna and Batasuna v. Spain case, there had never been a precedent for the simultaneous dissolution of three parties. In Georgia, the court proceedings are currently underway, with hearings now in their tenth day. By contrast, in the Spanish case, the three parties were banned within just four days. In total, approximately 150 political parties have been banned across Europe”, he continued.

The official also referred to Ukraine, where, he said, 22 political parties had been banned.

“If we look at the situation in Ukraine, while acknowledging that the circumstances are different and that we all want peace, it remains a fact that 22 political parties have been banned. Moreover, these bans were not imposed individually. More than 10 parties were prohibited in several stages by presidential decree, followed by the adoption of legislation on their prohibition, and ultimately, the bans were upheld by court rulings. In other words, precedents exist for the simultaneous banning of more than five political parties. Similarly, in Moldova, just a few months ago, four parties were banned at once. While the respondent correctly pointed out that five is greater than four, it is equally true that, in the case of Spain, four is greater than three. The specific number is not the issue here”, Gorduladze added.

“On the contrary, it is a problem for Georgia’s democracy when so many parties deliberately, collectively and systematically violate the Constitution in practice, including today, and create the risk of continuing to do so in the future. What matters is not the number of parties, but the severity of the violations. Voters still have the opportunity to support other political parties, just as they did in Spain, Türkiye, Moldova and Ukraine. The facts speak for themselves: 18 parties participated in the 2024 elections and 12 in the 2025 elections. Therefore, the claim that these five parties are the only political parties in Georgia is simply incorrect”, he concluded.