A year after granting the country candidate status, the EU has struck Tbilisi
The European Union has suspended the process of European integration of Georgia, said the EU Ambassador to Tbilisi, Pavel Gerchinsky. The intentions of the current leadership of the country have become unpredictable and unclear for EU leaders. The reason for the suspension of relations in this direction was the bill on foreign agents adopted by the country's government, as well as the anti-Western rhetoric of the Georgian leadership.
This decision is «sad» and «heartbreaking,» said EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Grechinsky. «Anti-Western, anti-European rhetoric is completely incompatible with the declared goal of joining the European Union,» he added.
According to him, the first step towards suspending Georgia's European integration was the freezing of 30 million euros. However, he expressed hope that work would resume after the parliamentary elections in October of this year.
Georgia received EU candidate status only a year ago, in December 2023. According to various polls, 90% of the country's population supports the country's accession to the European Union.
At the same time, according to political scientist Archil Sikharulidze, the EU statements were made with only one purpose – to attract as many voters as possible to the opposition before the elections. He is convinced that such rhetoric will cease after the elections, even if the ruling Georgian Dream party wins.
“This is a pre-election decision. As soon as the Georgian Dream wins the elections, all these statements and such rhetoric from the EU will end. They understand perfectly well that Tbilisi should become part of the European Union. Georgia is ahead of Ukraine and Moldova in many respects, which also received candidate status. And we are leaders in terms of democracy. As soon as the elections are over, the criticism will immediately decrease,” the expert believes.
In his opinion, the opposition representatives are aware of their weak position, so they are drawing resources for the election campaign not within the country, but outside it. «They are trying to present the situation in the sense that European integration is a fateful issue that cannot be reconsidered and renewed. But this is not true. Georgia's path is in the European Union, and the EU itself understands this very well.»