EU Criticizes Georgia's Democratic Backsliding: A Setback on Path to Membership
The EU envoy labeled Georgia's progress report toward EU membership as "devastating," highlighting democratic backsliding. Once a hopeful candidate, Georgia now trails behind Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova, who are progressing toward EU integration. Despite aspirations, Georgia has strengthened economic ties with Russia, exacerbating its EU accession challenges.
- Country:
- Georgia
In a sobering assessment, the European Union's envoy to Georgia criticized the country's current status on Tuesday, calling its progress toward EU membership "devastating." The report from the European Commission underscores that Georgia is even further from joining the bloc than when it was granted candidate status in 2023.
The Commission's report praised Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova for their positive strides toward joining the EU by 2030. However, it highlighted Georgia's "serious democratic backsliding," suggesting the country remains a candidate only "in name."
Despite officially expressing a desire to join the EU, Georgia has paradoxically reinforced its economic ties with Russia since 2022, while simultaneously suppressing dissent at home, complicating its path to European integration.
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