European Parliament on Georgia’s Candidate Status
The chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister, stated in an interview with “Voice of America” that the elections in Georgia, scheduled for October 26, 2024, will determine whether Georgia can maintain its candidate status for EU membership.
McAllister also emphasized that without the repeal of the law on transparency of foreign influence, the law on family values, the law concerning minorities, and the amendments made to the electoral code, there will be no progress in relations with the European Union.
“The adoption of these new laws will lead to a setback for Georgia in at least three of the nine recommendations issued to the Georgian government by the Council of Europe.
We are witnessing regression in matters of disinformation, polarization, fundamental rights, and interference in the activities of civil society. All of this was reflected in the recommendations of the Council of Europe, and there is no doubt that it has a negative impact on Georgia’s path to European integration.
[As for the elections], the elections will be decisive for the future democratic development of Georgia and the determination of its geopolitical direction. They will also determine whether the country can maintain its candidate status for joining the European Union,” said McAllister.
On October 10, the foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle member states [Germany, France, Poland] issued a joint statement in which they urged the Georgian government to change its political course.
The statement noted that the foreign ministers of the three countries are calling on the Georgian government to reconsider its current actions. According to them, cooperation between the European Union and Georgia is at risk.
Earlier, the European Parliament adopted a critical resolution on Georgia, in which Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called on the European Council and EU democratic partners to impose immediate and targeted personal sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili “for his role in deteriorating the political situation in Georgia.”
Furthermore, the resolution condemns Bidzina Ivanishvili’s personal role in the current political “crisis” and the undermining of the country’s Euro-Atlantic orientation, as well as attempts to redirect the country back towards Russia.