It is evident that meeting the 12 recommendations set forth by the European Union is the single requirement that, if fully met, Georgia will be granted the status of a candidate country of the European Union, which is supported by 85% of our country's population.

The first recommendation, which urges the parties to stop political polarization, contains the key to beginning to implement the 12-point recommendations. Any party currently engaged in politics should make every effort to end political polarization, and any actions made should be done so in the spirit of the April 19 agreement.

It is a fact that the existing politically polarized climate does not reflect the situation in mature democracies. The fundamental factor impeding the growth of the Georgian state throughout its independent history has been the polarization and conflict between its political parties.

We are called to rectify this situation by the European Union, a unique political union of democratic states whose success has been demonstrated over time. The European Union's institutions are strong and committed to upholding democratic ideals, which ensures that its member nations will enjoy the peace, prosperity, and freedom it promises.

The 12-point plan and the agreement of April 19 both outline the procedures that must be completed to become a member state of the European Union.

It is time for Georgian politics to put an end to the practice of pointless clashes and fabricating an enemy from the opponent, where the political climate is only determined by two competing political forces, whose agenda is focused on accusing each other and achieving individual political ambitions rather than on resolving actual issues.

Establishing a pluralistic political environment in the country is essential to achieving the status of a candidate country of the European Union and to putting an end to polarization. In this environment, the most pressing issues will not be resolved on a solely individual basis but rather through the participation and discussion of various political actors. The opposition between the political parties will be based on the sharing of information and arguments.

The establishment of such a political tradition will ultimately be a step forward toward the European Union and will significantly contribute to the establishment of a consolidated democracy in the country.

We think there are three key measures that need to be made in order to accomplish this goal:

• A significant emphasis is placed on the implementation of the constitutional amendments passed in the first reading, at least in the second reading, in terms of depolarization and the creation of a pluralistic atmosphere. The constitutional changes approved in the first reading provide for the holding of Georgia's upcoming parliamentary elections in a fully proportional way, subject to a 2 percent electoral threshold that is expressly stated in the April 19 agreement.     
  The adoption of constitutional amendments and the reduction of the electoral threshold directly support the call for depolarization made by the European Union, as only a proportional electoral system under conditions of a high threshold cannot guarantee the fair representation of political parties in the legislative body. All social groups in society should have a voice in the legislature, and parties should be represented there.
  The April 19 agreement calls for the establishment of a threshold of not just 2 percent, but naturally up to 2 percent, for future parliamentary elections. This is all part of the ambitious electoral reform. It is advisable to satisfy the aforementioned reservation, to set a threshold of up to 2 percent, and to make the condition specified in the agreement recurring in order to minimize political polarization to the fullest extent possible.
• The removal of Mikheil Saakashvili as a player from Georgian politics will be another crucial step toward depolarization. Making this choice will lessen polarization, improve the political climate in Georgia, and remove the leverage of those with whom the polemic is constructed on the basis of mutual animosity. The National Movement will have the chance to evolve into a contemporary political force if only one political movement decides how to resolve this dilemma. In the same vein, Georgia's third president's health and the risks associated with it shouldn't become a precondition for repeating the nation's historical embarrassment.
• Recent political developments have once more made it very evident that Bidzina Ivanishvili is closely connected to Georgian politics. Bidzina Ivanishvili must return to Georgian politics in order to lessen polarization, which includes carrying out the pledge to de-oligarchization. The political responsibility for the procedures should be assumed by those who make pertinent decisions or have access to all the resources to make these decisions in order for the nation to return to the proper constitutional framework. All formal political actors, especially powerful ones like Bidzina Ivanishvili, must return to the Georgian political scene, accept responsibility as a subject of political decision-making along with his political team, and take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections as part of this responsibility.
  
  

The aforementioned measures will improve the political climate in the country and help establish new rules and traditions of the democratic political game, which will help the state transition from a developing democracy to a consolidated, developed democracy, in addition to being a direct prerequisite for fulfilling the commitment to reduce political polarization set forth by the European Union.