MOSCOW, July 10, Viktor Zhdanov. European integration of Georgia has been suspended. The EU authorities do not intend to negotiate with the country's government at least until the next parliamentary elections. About the causes and consequences of the discord — in the material.
The first stepEU Ambassador to Georgia Pavel Gerchinsky said that the anti-Western rhetoric of official Tbilisi is incompatible with the desire to join Europe. The accession process is frozen.
The EU logo on the building of the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels
In addition, Georgia is being deprived of 30 million euros from the European Peace Fund, which were going to be allocated for the country's defense. “This is just the first step,” Gerchinsky warned. The authorities will receive nothing more. The money will be used to “support civil society” and “independent” media.
“This is the answer to the fact that all their advice and warnings were ignored,” said President Salome Zurabishvili, who is in conflict with the government. The EU is still waiting for explanations regarding the law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence”, which provides for the registration of non-profit legal entities and media outlets financed by more than 20% from abroad.
Brussels is very much counting on parliamentary elections in October. But the opposition is unlikely to win them.
According to a study by the international public opinion center Gorbi, the Georgian Dream rating is 60.4%. The leader of the parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, is confident that opponents of the current government have no chance.
Plenary session of the Parliament of Georgia
A thorny path At the end of June, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze confirmed that the goal is accession to the EU in 2030. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, responded a few days later: the road is closed until Tbilisi changes its policy.
The ruling party is not inclined to dramatize the situation. “We will stop for a while and continue next year,” explained deputy Beka Davituliani. According to him, Georgia will become part of a large wave of expansion of the European Union, which is “not foreseen” yet.
The application was submitted in March 2022 — almost simultaneously with Kiev and Chisinau. A couple of weeks ago in Brussels, Ukraine and Moldova were recognized as candidates — but not Georgia.
The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, at the summit of heads of state and government of the European Union in Brussels
The head of the EU Council Charles Michel reminded: Tbilisi must fulfill 12 mandatory conditions.
A year ago, the European Commission's report noted that Georgia had fully accomplished only three things: gender equality, priority of decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, and the appointment of a public defender (ombudsman).
We have to say, “The law on foreign agents is not going to be repealed. It’s so difficult for them.” We managed to accept it. Therefore, now the situation is difficult. It’s not yet a stalemate, but everything is close to it,” explains Nikolai Topornin, associate professor of the Department of European Law at MGIMO.
Protest by opponents of the law on foreign agents in Tbilisi
Brussels considers the law contrary to democratic standards, but refuses to communicate with Tbilisi, point out specific shortcomings and offer alternatives. “This is not a matter of procedural issues. This is already a political issue. Nowhere does it say that because of this law you cannot enter into negotiations, which exist for this purpose. Georgia has no other obvious obstacles on its way to the European Union. They are in no way inferior to Bosnia and Herzegovina or Albania. Things are no worse for them than for Ukraine and Moldova,” the expert argues.
Georgia may face the same fate as Turkey, an EU candidate since 1999. In 2018, Brussels reported that negotiations with Ankara had reached a dead end, including due to a territorial dispute with Cyprus.
Turkish and EU flags in front of a mosque in Istanbul 
«The essence of the clash with the structures of the European Union is not the law on foreign agents. Western partners in general are not satisfied with some independence of the Georgian government, and this law is a symbol of their activities, which does not depend on the West. Therefore, the upcoming elections are very important. There is a certain pressure from Europe, but it has not yet turned into sanctions. Most likely, we will not see any drastic steps until the fall,» says the head of the Caucasus sector of the IMEMO RAS. Vadim Mukhanov.
At the same time, one should not expect big changes after the elections. The ruling party has no serious opponents; the Georgian Dream will probably retain power. Brussels will have to work with it. They are still not ready to break off relations with Tbilisi.