Europe EU puts Georgia's accession process on hold for the time being
The European Union is putting Georgia's accession process on hold for the time being. The reason for this is the current course of the political leadership in Tbilisi, according to a declaration by the heads of state and government at the summit in Brussels.
28.06.2024, 00:59
SDA
The text states that the European Council expresses its serious concern about the latest developments in Georgia. The authorities there must reverse their current course, as this would jeopardize Georgia's path to the EU and "de facto lead to a halt in the accession process".
The country, which has a population of 3.7 million, was only granted EU candidate status last December after it applied for EU membership shortly after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Law led to mass protests
As a concrete example of the negative developments in the former Soviet republic on Russia's southern border, the heads of state and government cited a new law on stricter control of civil society. This was passed by parliament in May despite weeks of mass protests against the "Russian law". It also overruled a veto by the pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili.
The ruling Georgian Dream party, which holds the majority in parliament, is using the law to tighten the accountability of non-governmental organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad. It justifies this with greater transparency. A similar law in Russia labels these foreign-supported organizations as "foreign agents".
Reminders to Tbilisi
The EU heads of state and government see the Georgian law as "a step backwards in relation to the EU Commission's recommendations for EU candidate status. Regarding the authorities' actions against critics, they call for an end to the increasing intimidation, threats and physical attacks against civil society representatives, political leaders, civil activists and journalists.
The declaration also recalls that respect for the values and principles on which the European Union is founded is essential for any country seeking membership. It must also be ensured that the parliamentary elections this fall are free and fair.
Good contacts with Moscow
What exactly is behind the government's course in Tbilisi is still unclear. The paradox is that the Georgian Dream government led the successful talks on EU candidate status. In its own words, it is sticking to the EU course - but at the same time maintains good contacts with Moscow.
Party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, who became a billionaire with business deals in Russia and was also Prime Minister for a time, is considered to be a driving force behind the law. In the past, he held the view that Georgia must protect itself from pernicious Western influence.
