Georgia’s Turbulent Path to EU Membership
Georgia’s recent legislative elections have sparked intense protests, with the opposition refusing to recognize the results. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, was declared the winner, but the opposition claims the results were rigged. The country’s Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into alleged election falsification, but the president, Salome Zourabichivili, has refused to appear.
A Shift Towards Moscow
The current government, which has been in power since 2012, has shifted towards positions close to Moscow in recent years. A law requiring media and non-governmental organizations to register as “bearers of the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their budget from other countries has been approved. This law is seen as an attempt to control the media and curtail press freedom.
EU Accession Talks Suspended
The country’s prime minister has announced the decision to suspend accession talks with the European Union until 2028. The European Commission has expressed concern about the situation in Georgia, but has stopped short of proclaiming the elections illegitimate. The Community Executive has “de facto” suspended accession to the EU, and Georgia’s candidate country status is in jeopardy.
A Divided Country
The country now has two presidents in parallel, with the Georgian Dream candidate, Mikheil Kavelashivili, being proclaimed, while Zurabishvili does not recognize the transition. The opposition and the European institutions consider that the new law aims to control the media and that it has been drafted in the image and likeness of Russian regulations.
International Response
The European Commission is preparing a package of sanctions against holders of diplomatic visas in the country, but diplomatic sources rule out that these restrictions could be generalized to the general population. The United States has approved sanctions, while Hungary and Slovakia have vetoed the possibility of imposing sanctions on a group of officials responsible for the repressions against protesters.
A Call to Action
Zourabichvili wants the EU to pressure Georgian Dream to repeat the elections. “Europe needs to find the lever to act. If Europe cannot exert influence over a country of 3.7 million inhabitants, how can it hope to compete with the giants of the 21st century?” she said. The leaders of the European powers addressed the situation in Georgia at the last summit of the year, but concrete measures are yet to be seen.