The European Parliament approved one of the most powerful words documents in expanded history this Wednesday. A progress report on Georgia’s enrollment process.
With 490 votes in favor and 147, EU lawmakers lamented “the backslide of the rule of law and the growing influence of Russia over the Georgian Dream, the ruling party led by billionaire Vidina Ivanishvili.”
This is the first report on Georgia as a candidate for the EU, based on the 2023 and 2024 European Commission technical and political ratings.
The documents adopted in the Strasbourg Hemicile highlighted the lack of legitimacy of “the self-proclaimed authorities established by the George Andreem Party after the unified parliamentary elections on October 26, 2024.”
Tobias Cremer, the German MEP of the Socialist and Democrats (S&D) group, is one of the leading authors of the report. “We see elections that were integrated in parliamentary elections last year, and since then we have seen even more brutal tightening and crackdowns on peaceful protesters,” Creamer told Euroneus.
EU Expansion Director Marta Kos praised the European Parliament’s report on Georgia on Tuesday evening.
“What we are witnessing in Georgia is far from what we expect from a candidate country, and Georgia’s Democrat foundations have been eroded by the day Georgia’s Dream Party cancelled its pro-EU opposition and civil society,” she said.
The Unchanging Neighborhood
Last fall election sparked a wave of anti-government protests for more than six months in Georgia.
One of the first voices to condemn allegations of election fraud was Georgia’s president Salomé Zourabichvili.
“They (Georgian Dream Officials) are not recognized by the political forces within the country because they do not recognize that the opposition has won these partially integrated elections.
The European Parliament is also very concerned about the wave of detention carried out by Georgian authorities for journalists and some members of the opposition. In recent months, at least six opposition members have been arrested by authorities.
On June 24th, centralist strategy politician Giorgi Vaschatze was sentenced to eight months in prison for refusing to testify in an official investigation that called acts of political revenge by Georgia’s dream critics.
The previous day, three other opposition members were given equal sentences after refusing to cooperate with the same parliamentary inquiry that investigated the government’s misconduct of former President Mikhail Saakashvili, who was still in prison.
General Kaka Karaze, executive director of Georgia’s Dream, dismissed allegations that one of the arrests was politically motivated, saying that politicians were not exempt from the law.
“I think we all know why these people are in custody. They broke the law and didn’t show up on the committee. The status of a politician or another person is not an incentive to break the law,” he said.
Both the EU and NATO are deeply concerned about the increase in Russian invasions in the South Caucasus region. Russia has increased pressure on Azerbaijan and deployed more troops in Armenia, but Georgia is engaged in political and media interference, the European Parliament argues.
“What this report clearly shows is that the government of Georgia’s dreams is playing a playbook of Russian disinformation, manipulation and intimidation, which is not actually heading towards membership in the European Union,” Kremer said.
The Russian army attacked Georgia just three months after the important NATO summit in Bucharest, and just three months after welcomed the Tbilisi and Kiev membership meeting. Within weeks, Russian troops occupied South Ossetia and Abkhazia. These two regions are still under Moscow’s control.
Since the war in 2008, the Georgian government has had to balance the EU’s desires of almost 80% of its population with an understanding of the strategic priorities of its northern neighbour, Russia, especially after launching an all-out war with Ukraine in early 2022.
In fact, despite running for the EU, Tbilisi is not in line with EU sanctions against Russia. In 2024, the Georgia Legislature passed the Foreign Agents Act.
“I want to see Georgia in the European Union. I think it’s very clear that there is one attacker in this equation. The invaders are sitting in the Kremlin. And I understand that this is why Moscow is so aggressive not only in Ukraine but also in the Caucasus, but also in our own democrats.
Full EU membership by 2030 remains Tbilisi’s goal
Georgia applied for membership in Ukraine and Moldova in March 2022, and ran in December 2023.
Just a few months later, growing concerns and disagreements between the EU and Georgia governments have urged the expansion process to freeze.
As a result, financial support from European peace facilities worth 30 million euros was suspended in 2024, with no plans for this year.
However, Georgia’s first deputy prime minister, Levan Davitashvili, told Euroneuz in May that the Tbilisi government’s target would be a full-fledged membership by 2030.
“We understand that it is a long process, but we are fully focused on implementing this important reform, we are still loyal to this reform and this process is going in a very positive way,” said Davitashvili.
Georgia Prime Minister Irakli Kobakitze’s participation in the 6th European Political Community (EPC) Summit (EPC) held in Tirana in 2016 marked the thawing of tensions between Tbilisi and the European Union after both parties suspended the South Caucasus’ accession talks.
On the occasion, Kobahize told journalists, “There is limited communication between Georgia and the EU, and it appears that European partners want to restore relations with Georgia.”
Georgian Prime Minister told Euroneus in May that his country was playing a “significant role for Europe.”
“Everyone should recognize the strategic importance of Georgia’s Europe, particularly the Eurozone. Our role in this region is important and the need for dialogue with Georgia leaders is increasingly recognized,” he said.
