Day: August 21, 2025
Work permit for Georgians in Poland
Under a new draft law, simplified work rules in Poland will no longer apply to Georgian citizens. The document, published by Poland’s Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, removes Georgia from the list of countries whose citizens can start work in Poland under an easier procedure, citing the “political situation.”
At present, Polish employers can hire citizens of Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus without a standard work permit. Instead, employers need only file a declaration with the authorities that they are hiring a citizen of one of these countries for a period of up to 24 months.
Citizens of these countries are also eligible to take seasonal jobs for up to nine months.
If approved, the draft law will take effect in September or October 2025.
According to the ministry, once the law is adopted, even short-term employment for Georgian citizens will require going through the full work permit procedure in Poland.
The ministry said the changes set out in the draft law were linked to the political situation in Georgia, ongoing discussions over possible restrictions on the country’s visa-free regime with the EU, and a drop in the number of seasonal work permits issued to Georgians compared with 2024.
News in Georgia
Work permit for Georgians in Poland
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Georgia’s prominent election watchdog, said it will not observe the upcoming local elections with its “standard mission,” citing the conditions necessary for a free, fair, and competitive vote as having been “largely not met.” The organization said it will, however, still monitor related developments.
“In ISFED’s view, the three conditions outlined in the Venice Commission’s Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters – respect for fundamental rights, stability of electoral law, and the existence of procedural guarantees – have largely not been met, significantly undermining the prospects for free, fair, and competitive elections,” Levan Natroshvili, ISFED’s new director, said as he read out the organization’s statement at a July 21 presentation of its report on pre-election environment.
“Therefore, ISFED will not observe the municipal elections with a standard observation mission and methodology,” he said, adding, “However, the organization continues to monitor and assess the ongoing political and electoral processes.”
The upcoming local elections, scheduled for October 4, will be boycotted by a group of opposition parties who say participation would normalize Georgian Dream’s rule and legitimize the disputed government, and will also lack both local and international observation, as the ruling party has not invited an ODIHR mission. It remains to be seen if the other local observers will follow ISFED’s lead.
Only 14 parties will appear on the ballot, down from 17 that had registered, less than half the 43 political forces that signed up in the 2021 local vote.
Among the opposition forces taking part are Lelo/Strong Georgia, whose leaders, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, are currently imprisoned for boycotting a Georgian Dream parliamentary body, and the For Georgia party, led by ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who remains abroad facing two criminal prosecutions over his actions in 2019 as interior minister. The parties say they believe in competing even in an unfair fight and want to challenge Georgian Dream, especially in bigger cities where its support is relatively weak.
Georgian Dream, vowing to win all municipalities and mayoral posts, has already presented its list of mayoral candidates. Kakha Kaladze, the incumbent Tbilisi mayor, has been endorsed by the ruling party to seek a third term. Lelo and For Georgia have nominated a joint candidate, Irakli Kupradze, Lelo’s secretary general. Another candidate in the Tbilisi race is Zurab Makharadze, leader of the far-right Conservatives for Georgia (Alt-Info) party.
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