Laats, whose childhood was spent in the Abkhazia region of Georgia, has called the moves an attempted coup within the parliamentary group and orchestrated by two of the three coalition parties.

Earlier on Thursday, Eesti 200 MP Ando Kiviberg said feedback received on the proposal to express no confidence in Laats as Riigikogu group chair indicated that he would be removed from that position.

"I believe it will most likely proceed as proposed," Kiviberg said.

He also had someone in mind for taking on the post: Himself.

"I am ready to do this. I genuinely feel that action is needed," Kiviberg said.

Regarding developments in Georgia, the Riigikogu should express positions based on its principles and values when it comes to Georgia, he added.

"We need to go there, talk to representatives of the ruling party, the opposition, and journalists, get a clear picture, and plan actions accordingly," Kiviberg went on.

Under Laats's leadership, the parliamentary group has been too passive in responding to events in Georgia, Kiviberg elaborated.

He noted that his proposal is backed by the Reform Party, the largest coalition partner by seats.

Kiviberg said Eesti 200's Igor Taro had invited Riigikogu members to join the Estonia-Georgia group, adding 10 members, or almost 10 percent of the Riigikogu, overnight.

Riigikogu spokesperson Karin Kangro confirmed this. The 10 MPs are all from Reform and Eesti 200 and include Eerik-Niiles Kross (Reform) and Kalev Stoicescu (Eesti 200).

Laats for his part has said that he does not promote Kremlin views on Georgia, and demanded that Kiviberg retract his remarks.

In a statement to the media, Laats said that the reason for his dismissal is to forcibly annex the Riigikogu Georgia group, to ensure it does the coalition's bidding.

Laats, 43, criticized the coalition for restricting opposition activities and found Kiviberg's comments about not supporting Georgia particularly hurtful due to his personal connection to the country – he spent his childhood in the village of Salme, which is in Abkhazia, a region of Georgia with a strong separatist and pro-Russian populace.

Laats expressed strong support for Georgia, hoping his colleague would "retract hurtful comments."

During recent questioning before the Riigikogu given to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200), Laats had stated that the situation in Georgia is complex, and no one had openly claimed the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party had won this autumn's elections there unlawfully.

Laats also questioned the claim that the ongoing anti-government protests in Georgia are wholly peaceful, claiming he had seen material online showing otherwise, and acknowledged the ongoing violence and victims, on both sides.

Laats emphasized that the EU should support Georgia's European integration, promoting diplomacy rather than rejecting the country – the Georgian Dream victory has put the clock back on this at least at things stand.

Minister Tsahkna's response was to say that Laats's claims were offensive to the Georgian people, urging him to think before speaking, visit Georgia, and consider the facts rather than following misleading narratives, while emphasizing that peaceful protests are a right and the violence against protesters is indeed criminal.

Georgia's parliamentary elections in October were marred by irregularities, including voter intimidation, vote-buying, and accusations of Russian interference.

On October 27, Marko Mihkelson and 11 other parliamentarians issued a statement condemning irregularities in Georgia's parliamentary elections and stating the EU cannot recognize the results.

The U.S. has also called for an investigation into the irregularities.
Georgia's strategic path has been shaped by its desire for independence and closer ties with the EU, often putting it on a collision course with Russia, which is anxious to try to maintain hegemony in the region and over sovereign independent states.

After gaining independence in the early 1990s with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia faced wars with Russian-backed separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The 2008 Russian invasion followed Georgia's attempt to regain its South Ossetia region, and saw pro-Russian forces rallying in Abkhazia too.

Undeterred both by this and by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, on the other side of the Black Sea, Georgia continued seeking EU and NATO membership; its military fostered good relations with the U.S. military and those of other western countries.

The EU has offered diplomatic support but stopped short of full membership for Georgia just yet.

Pro-Russian People's Party candidate Mikheil Kavelashvili was declared winner in the Georgian presidential election which took place last weekend.

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