Response to interpellation 2024/25:152 on LGBTQI rights in Georgia
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns hbtqi rights in Georgia and the government's actions. M views the package of laws on family values, which restrict human rights, with concern 1. M emphasizes that Sweden stands united on the issue and that democracy and the rule of law must be prioritized 2. M argues that different parts of the aid policy should not be pitted against each other 3 and asserts that Sweden is a strong global voice for equal rights 4. S welcomes the government's actions but requests further interventions and support for sanctions 5. S believes that hbtqi organizations have received less money 6 and criticizes the government for lacking a clear hbtqi focus in the reform agenda 6 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Mr. Speaker! [The member] has asked me how I and the government view the development for LGBTQI persons in Georgia and how I intend to act based on my view of the situation, whether I and the government have made an analysis of how LGBTQI organizations are affected by the government's reform agenda and if I in that case intend to take any initiatives, as well as what I and the government intend to take measures to support the LGBTQI movement in Georgia.
The Government views the developments in Georgia with concern. The Government has, together with our partners within the EU, conveyed clear messages to Georgian representatives that Georgia, as a candidate country in the EU, is expected to enact laws that align with the ambition of approaching the EU and is also expected in other respects to act in accordance with the EU's fundamental values. Respect for hbtqi persons' full enjoyment of human rights as well as the promotion of equal rights and opportunities for hbtqi persons is an undeniable part of this.
The law package on family values restricts human rights, conflicts with EU norms, and has several similarities with the corresponding law in Russia. The law stigmatizes a group that is already in a vulnerable situation and risks leading to a strengthened threat situation and increased discrimination.
Sweden is one of the countries that has supported Georgia's reforms and EU rapprochement the longest. But full Swedish support for Georgia is conditional on respect for fundamental democratic principles and continued EU rapprochement. Georgia's government needs to improve the conditions for LGBTQI persons' equal rights and opportunities to live up to this.
Against the background of the very worrying developments in Georgia, the government decided on 24 October to task Sida with pausing all bilateral agency cooperation with Georgia that Sida still finances. For the time being, the Swedish support will be directed to a greater extent towards support for civil society, including to actors with a focus on human freedoms and rights.
Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister Dousa, for the answer to my question! I will nevertheless begin by saying that quite a lot has happened in Georgia since I submitted my interpellation a couple of weeks ago. There have been parliamentary elections in the country, and it has led to protests that we see every day. I think that the government has in many respects acted correctly in the measures that have been taken when it comes to increasing support for civil society, which is a welcome announcement. It is also correct that one pauses the bilateral support to authorities in Georgia when they do not live up to human rights and when the EU-approximations that we previously saw in the country no longer seem to be valid, based on the policy that the Georgian government is now pursuing.
A background to this question is that Georgia was judged for quite some time to be a country moving in the right direction, towards an EU rapprochement. It was precisely for that reason that Sweden increased support to Georgia, and it was viewed positively that we as a country could also facilitate the transition towards an EU rapprochement and increased democracy in the country. This has also had positive effects for hbtqi persons in Georgia.
Unfortunately, over the last three years we have seen quite large restrictions of human rights in the country, among other things through what the Minister himself accounted for, namely the agent law that drew its inspiration directly from the Kremlin. The Russia-proximity that is now occurring has been initiated by first attacking the LGBTQ+ movement in the country. It is somewhat symptomatic of these authoritarian forces: First you go after LGBTQ+ persons, then women's rights, and after that it is a slippery slope until you have taken away all rights.
We, as Social Democrats, naturally welcome the decisions that Minister Dousa reports on. But all these decisions were made before the parliamentary election. That we must still say. Now, after the parliamentary election, we see a situation that is worrying, where MR activists are imprisoned and people disappear. There are large protests, and there is great repression from the Georgian police. Here, the government needs to clarify what it intends to do next. What additional measures are being taken now in Georgia? I still believe that Benjamin Dousa shares my commitment to democracy in Georgia, and I believe that we in Sweden have a fairly consistent view when it comes to the countries that we want to approach the EU.
But this is also about meeting force with force. The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on further sanctions. I would like to ask if the Swedish government is prepared to support it. We must expand the sanctions against those who are directly responsible for the restrictions occurring on civil and political rights and on democracy in the country.
I would also like to ask if the government intends to take any further measures to strengthen the rights of hbtqi persons in Georgia and throughout the world. We have received the reform agenda that the government has decided upon. I did a small exercise and searched for "hbtqi" in it and found that it was mentioned only once, Mr. Speaker. I find this a bit regrettable, because in country after country we see that hbtqi persons stand on the front line in the defense of democracy.
I would like to hear Dousa explain a bit how one thinks in these issues and also whether one is ready to take further measures to put pressure on the Georgian government.
Fredrik Saweståhl (M)
Mr. Speaker! The development of rights for LGBTQI persons in the world is an important issue, and the Swedish commitment is great. I just want to jump in here and contribute a bit of my experiences from having worked with these issues at different levels over the last 30 years.
There are perhaps two things one could contribute to this discussion. For the first, it is important that we in Sweden stand together on this issue. We are not in disagreement. Now, it did not sound that way in the Social Democratic member's speech, but if one reads the text in the interpellation, one can still get the feeling that the interpellator wants to make it appear that there is a difference between the Moderaterna and the Socialdemokraterna and between the government and the Socialdemokraterna. But that is not the case, we are fundamentally in agreement, and that is what is important that we emphasize.
This is a Team Sweden question. It is we who stand for these values. These are Swedish values. These are values that we want to fight for in the whole world.
There is a strong commitment not only for Georgia but for LGBTQI rights in the whole world and all of Europe. Our country and our government, quite regardless of how the governments have looked over the last 20 years, have clearly stood up in these issues and in these contexts and signaled against countries – both EU countries and non-EU countries – that have embarked on the slippery slopes where one begins to restrict these rights.
Therefore, my general appeal is that we should try to unite even more clearly on these issues and not use them as a way to try to create debates or demonstrate differences in Sweden. We can, however, disagree on hbtqi issues and reforms in our country. That is a different matter. But internationally, we are in agreement, and I believe it is important that we stand up for that.
We shall speak with one voice, and we shall do so together, for this is a Swedish interest that is common to us all. It is a human interest. Furthermore, these issues fit very well with the new reform agenda, which shall strive to strengthen Swedish interests.
Secondly: In my own engagement, I have spoken with many LGBTQI activists from Georgia, not least within the framework of EPOA, Europe's Pride Organizers. They give the same picture: It is a tough situation, and it has been tough for a long time. But just as the member and the minister point out, it has become worse in recent years, with the Georgian dream-government, the agent law, and the Russian influence. One is used as a whipping boy in the debate. One is a battering ram used to push Georgia away from Europe and in the direction of Russia.
How can we then change this? First and foremost, we must continue to be engaged in hbtqi issues and also generally for democracy, the rule of law, and freedom in Georgia. Georgian activists say that if democracy dies and the rule of law falls, it will never get better for hbtqi persons in Georgia, and therefore we need to prioritize those issues. We must handle the larger situation first. Then we will be able to make progress also in the second part, that is, strengthening hbtqi persons' rights on the ground in Georgia.
If democracy falls, everyone becomes unfree. If the rule of law falls, everyone becomes unfree. Then no one is free.
Together we must do everything we can to achieve a Georgia that strives towards Europe - a democracy with respect for human rights and a functioning rule of law where, in the next step, also LGBTQI persons receive increased rights.
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Mr. Speaker! I also want to begin by really thanking Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro for the commitment to these issues. It is exactly as has been said here, important that Sweden stands united and is engaged.
I promise that I will return and go into more detail on what the government intends and what is being done, but I want to say that I believe it is important that Members of Parliament also engage in these issues. It is very positive.
Just as has also been said earlier, Georgia was for a long time an example in the region for its reform progress. Sweden has for decades been one of the countries that has given the most support to the country. Swedish funding has contributed to important reforms being implemented which have promoted Georgia's democratic development and the living conditions of the Georgian population.
The government deeply regrets the worrying developments in the country. This development has been ongoing for some time but has been intensified in recent years, not least through the reintroduction and adoption of the law on transparency for foreign influence, which restricts civil society, and the package of laws on family values, which restricts human rights for the Georgian population, including LGBTQI persons. Against this background, the government acted quickly before the election.
Swedish support is, for the time being, instead directed to a greater extent towards civil society. This includes actors working with human freedoms and rights, where LGBTQI issues are an important part. During 2024, Swedish support to Georgian civil society has increased by 25 million kronor.
Let me give two concrete examples:
Firstly, Sweden supports the UN's joint program for gender equality in Georgia within the framework of the reform strategy for Eastern Europe. That project is implemented by UN Women, UNFPA and UNDP and covers a broad scope of work on gender equality, including extensive work on LGBTQI issues. The project offers, for example, protected housing for vulnerable individuals and healthcare, psychosocial support and rights for this group.
Secondly, cooperation regarding the full enjoyment of human rights by hbtqi persons also occurs with RFSU, which has been a long-term partner to several organizations in Georgia that work to promote equal rights and opportunities for hbtqi persons locally and internationally.
These organizations, for example, arrange training and networks for young activists and hbtqi persons. They also offer support from, for example, social workers and lawyers, because individuals have difficulty finding that type of service in society without simultaneously encountering prejudices.
The government stands ready to work for Georgia's EU rapprochement with all forces that genuinely stand behind European values and principles. Laws that restrict civil society and human rights undermine Georgia's pursuit of the EU and fuel polarization. They should therefore be removed as soon as possible.
Then it concerns the specific question that has been asked regarding further sanctions. This is currently being prepared within the Government Offices. But I can say this: We rule nothing out. It is important that Georgia moves in a more democratic direction, and it is important that we act against Georgian legislative packages and against Georgian cooperation with Russia. As said: We are ready to act further. One step on that journey was, as said, to break all direct agency cooperation between Sweden and Georgia.
Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro (S)
Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the additional answer. I naturally welcome that the government does not exclude anything when it comes to marking against the transgressions being committed by the Georgian government right now. But it is important that Sweden's government also expresses support for what the Georgian president is trying to do, which concerns re-evaluating the election result and holding a new election. It is incredibly important.
The Georgian civil society is out on the streets and is taking the biggest hit in the anti-democratic development in the country. We have seen the development for quite some time, and it reached its peak - one might still say - with the parliamentary election at the end of October.
International politics and foreign policy are very much about signals, about semantics, and about what we say and when we say it. Here, I believe that Dousa and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs have an important role to play when it comes to providing support to those who are protesting right now.
I believe that a viable path, which is probably quite favorable, is to be proactive within the EU and lead this work. The EU is indeed clear on this regarding sanctions against certain individuals in Georgia. But one also needs to be clear on this regarding clearly marking and sending a signal that one supports the protest movements in the country right now.
But, Mr. Speaker, we shall return to the main issue regarding LGBTQI persons. This issue also comes after certain realignments of the aid policy have occurred. I agree with the member who was here in the speaker's chair earlier and whose surname I cannot recall - I apologize for that. I believe we have quite similar views on this. But where we do not have similar views, it concerns the realignment of the reform agenda. It concerns what the aid shall be used for, how much shall go to trade and how much shall safeguard Swedish interests versus the local ownership of the organizations that receive the aid.
We can take Georgia as an example. Minister Dousa explained that support will be increased specifically when it comes to legal aid. That is very good, because that is exactly what the minister has said. It is very difficult for Georgian LGBTQI people to even get access to this at all.
But one also needs to get help with healthcare and other things. Above all, one needs to get help in obtaining the conditions to organize. This issue, Mr. Speaker, arises from the fact that the reprioritizations that have been made in the aid policy have led to hbtqi organizations in Georgia receiving less money.
One can of course say that Sweden cannot solve all the world's problems. But when it comes to the rights of LGBTQI people, I still want to say - if it needs to be clarified - that Sweden is one of the few countries that provides bilateral support to LGBTQI organizations worldwide.
Another country that provides bilateral support is the USA. I can almost assure State Secretary Dousa that the bilateral support from the USA will disappear after January, which means that the countries that remain and provide bilateral support to LGBTQI movements around the world will become incredibly important. I believe that is a perspective that the government must have. I do not think the reform agenda takes hold of this.
It is clear that one should safeguard the entire civil society. I agree with that. I have myself been involved in various aid projects, and those are incredibly important efforts carried out by Swedish civil society. But when it comes to LGBTQI persons and those organizations, I want to say: They stand on the front line when it comes to the defense of democracy. Therefore, I think it is somewhat regrettable that there is not a clearer focus on just that support in the reform agenda.
When one makes a reorganization, it naturally affects the entire civil society, especially those who are the most vulnerable, such as hbtqi persons in Georgia. Therefore, I would like to have some clarity. Does the government intend to move forward with some form of focus on specifically hbtqi persons?
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Mr. Speaker! I received questions regarding the realignment of Swedish aid policy. I fundamentally do not believe that one should set the different parts of the aid policy against each other. Linking trade and aid is a tool, a part of the aid. But we have extensive support for work on MR issues, democracy, civil and human rights, and activists who fight against authoritarian regimes. We also have a large humanitarian effort which, of course, concerns the most vulnerable people on the globe, who do not receive vaccine shots and who do not have food on the table. I believe that setting these parts against each other can go wrong.
Linking trade and aid is primarily about, for example, Ukraine. It is about helping and supporting Ukraine in terms of building up its local, regional, and national business sector so that it can independently have functioning business connections and be able to sustain itself in the long term.
I can state that the government also views with great concern the irregularities in Georgia's parliamentary elections that have been reported by, among others, OSCE and other election observers, and which indicate that the election was characterized by a very uneven playing field in favor of the governing party and extensive pressure on voters. The irregularities on election day are part of the alarming trend that I described earlier.
While EU integration is supported by between 80 and 90 percent of the population according to opinion polls, the Georgian government has, over the last few years and perhaps especially during the last year, put the EU rapprochement at risk. The laws that have been adopted during the last year are not compatible with the EU's norms and values. As a consequence of this, the country's EU accession process has in practice been frozen.
The recent developments in Georgia have contributed to increased risk for LGBTQI persons and the organizations that work with these issues. New restrictive laws have limited the activities of civil society organizations in the country and their opportunities to disseminate information and knowledge and to promote awareness among politicians and among the general public.
Sweden's support for regional programs, such as RFSL's Eastern Coalition for LGBT Equality, provides an opportunity to raise issues regarding discrimination of hbtqi persons in dialogue with other donors, partners within other areas of support, and national actors.
This regional approach increases the possibility for advocacy work in individual countries in the Eastern European region because it can be risky for local CSOs in each respective country, not least in Georgia, to work visibly with these issues.
Sweden's support for the LGBTQI movement is characterized by flexibility and a high degree of security so as not to expose any of our partners to increased risks. Sweden has clearly communicated that the laws that limit civil society and restrict LGBTQI persons' enjoyment of human rights need to be repealed. This also makes our support for Georgian civil society even more important. Sweden shall work to ensure that the EU also increases its support in the same way.
Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister Dousa, for this interpellation debate! These are incredibly important issues that I unfortunately believe we will have reason to discuss again.
I would like to raise something that the Minister highlighted, namely the programs that RFSL has in the country. Due to the reorganization of the aid, these programs have a very uncertain future. RFSL have themselves said that they do not quite know what the future looks like, and it would therefore be great if the Minister, in his concluding remarks, can ensure that the support will remain. It would be an incredibly important signal to civil society.
The worrying situation we see in Georgia, Mr. Speaker, is unfortunately not isolated to Georgia. It is happening in country after country, so also in the European Union. If the EU is to mark against such transgressions with credibility, we must also mark at home in our political union.
There I believe we have quite similar views, but when it comes to the trend that is sweeping across very large parts of the world right now, we must be even clearer, and I believe that the reform agenda needs to be clarified precisely when it comes to the rights of hbtqi persons and how they should be strengthened.
I note, Mr. Speaker, that the government does not have a clear LGBTQI focus. Nor does it have any strategy for how to use aid to strengthen LGBTQI rights around the world. It is clear that one can talk about this in the chamber, at meetings, and at seminars. But politics is also about getting things done, and to get things done, one must deliver money for them. This government has unfortunately not done that, and it is regrettable given that LGBTQI people are on the front line in the defense of democracy. I believe, unfortunately, that it is a historical mistake of this government that it does not have a clear LGBTQI focus, and I believe that it will cost LGBTQI people in the world dearly.
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Mr. Speaker! Sweden's commitment to the Georgian people and their EU aspirations remains, while at the same time we must be clear towards the Georgian government that its actions risk the country's EU rapprochement. By supporting the pro-European initiatives, we can also promote the EU's norms and principles, including human freedoms and rights for all citizens.
Sweden will continue its work supporting the LGBTQI movement in Georgia. I can also say in that context that I do not share the description that we do not have a commitment to these issues globally. I cannot stand here and promise exactly how Sida makes its decisions; that would be to influence the agency itself and exercise government steering. But it is prioritized in several of our strategies, both geographically and thematically, and one only has to look at the money.
Many projects around the world receive significant amounts, and I do not believe that various important UN programs and UN organizations would have answered no to the question of whether they think Sweden is engaged in this area. On the contrary, governments of all colors have historically had a very long-standing commitment to these issues. It is, of course, about money, but it is also about which issues we drive in these organizations where we also have board seats and can thus influence and bring other countries along.
This question is in many ways existential for us. It is fundamentally about all people being treated equally, regardless of whom one loves, who one is in love with, or how one chooses to live their life. Sweden is and remains a strong voice globally for the equal rights and opportunities of hbtqi persons. We raise these issues in political bilateral dialogues as well as in the EU and other global contexts, such as the UN Human Rights Council, the UN General Assembly, and the OSCE.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.