The European Union has suspended Georgia's accession process, just months after granting the South Caucasus nation candidate status, due to concerns over the country's democratic backsliding and adoption of laws mirroring Russian-style restrictions on civil society.
Paweł Herczyński, the EU's ambassador to Georgia, announced the decision at an event on EU enlargement in Tbilisi on Tuesday, Politico reported. "Regrettably, Georgia's EU accession process is stopped for now," Herczyński said, citing a decision made by EU leaders last month.
The move comes in response to the Georgian Dream party's introduction of a controversial law that will label Western-backed NGOs and media outlets as "foreign agents." Critics argue the legislation closely resembles rules used by Russia to suppress dissent and shut down civil society organizations.
What's next for Georgia's foreign agent law? Check out the timeline, from its adoption to elections. pic.twitter.com/q4RH6WDLjT
— OC Media (@OCMediaorg) July 3, 2024
The announcement of the law in May sparked massive protests in Georgia, with tens of thousands taking to the streets of Tbilisi. Riot police used tear gas and batons to disperse demonstrators, while opposition leaders reportedly faced detention and beatings. Both the EU and the US have condemned the violence and expressed alarm over Georgia's apparent pivot away from the West.
Georgian Dream, the country's ruling party, argues that the foreign agent law is necessary to prevent outside interference. However, its introduction alongside another controversial bill restricting LGBTQ+ rights has raised concerns about Georgia's democratic trajectory. "It is sad to see EU-Georgia relations at such a low point when they could have been at an all-time high," Herczyński lamented.
The decision to freeze Georgia's EU membership process will have significant financial implications. Herczyński revealed that €30 million in payments from the European Peace Facility, the EU's off-budget resilience fund, would be suspended. This could severely impact key Georgian industries like agriculture and winemaking, which rely heavily on EU and US aid.
The United States has gone a step further, imposing sanctions on leading Georgian Dream politicians accused of "undermining democracy in Georgia" and obstructing the country's path to EU membership.
The EU had granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023, despite warnings about democratic backsliding and a failure to implement crucial reforms. Brussels has made it clear that the new "foreign agent" law is incompatible with EU membership aspirations.
