The German Foreign Minister said today that the European Union should consider formally suspending Georgia's accession process due to the ruling party's hostile approach to the bloc and the country's democratic backsliding, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
“With its anti-European turn, the “Georgian Dream“ party has deliberately frozen Georgia's EU accession process and effectively suspended it“, said a statement by Analena Berbock. "We in the EU must now discuss formally suspending Georgia's accession process due to the increasingly authoritarian policies of the 'Georgian Dream'," the minister added.
She pointed out that granting Georgia candidate status in December 2023 was "linked to clear promises of reform." "But instead of progress, we see a worrying regression," Berbock continued, highlighting the crushing of peaceful pro-European demonstrations that had lasted for weeks in Tbilisi and elsewhere.
As a result, the German Foreign Ministry will reduce cooperation with the country and stop supporting projects worth more than 200 million euros. Germany is also discussing measures with its EU partners, which Berbock said range from "the cancellation of visa-free travel for senior Georgian officials to sanctions" against specific individuals.
The pro-Western opposition disputes the declared victory of the "Georgian Dream" party in parliamentary elections in late October and is angry at its decision to effectively suspend the country's EU accession talks. Demonstrations have repeatedly been violently broken up, activists detained and opposition politicians and media representatives attacked, DPA reports.