A look to the East: Georgia is reconsidering its course towards European integration
The Georgian authorities are changing their approach to European integration. Earlier, Tbilisi emphasized that they were striving to join the EU, although they were not in a hurry on this issue. Now the very course of membership in the association is being questioned. At the same time, the country's authorities have stepped up efforts in other areas and are increasing contacts with China and Central Asian countries. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Freedom for the little ones
The Georgian authorities are changing their attitude towards European integration. Previously, officials liked to talk at length about current problems and hopes for their resolution in the future. Now we are talking about the fact that membership in the EU is becoming impractical for the republic in principle.
Chairman of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili
The speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, spoke in the most detail on the topic. He recalled that in Brussels they are discussing the rejection of the principle of consensus, when one country can block a common decision. Instead, the European bureaucrats want to introduce a simple majority vote.
Papuashvili noted that if such changes are adopted, the EU will transform from a union of equal states into an association under the rule of major powers. "These will be catastrophic changes for small countries. The question will become relevant: what is the point of membership if the main advantage and leverage are taken away from you?" he asked.
The speaker also added that now, when joining the EU, states voluntarily give up part of their sovereignty, but if changes are introduced, we will be talking about a complete loss of independence. "Staying outside the EU in such conditions may be more beneficial for a small state, since it will at least retain the freedom to make independent decisions," he stressed.
Tornike Cheishvili, a deputy from the ruling Georgian Dream party, also said that the European bureaucracy intends to introduce segregation of EU members. "New or small states will assume more obligations, but will lose any rights," he said, adding that such an approach would pose a threat to sovereignty. According to him, in such circumstances Georgia can change its foreign policy priorities.
Finally, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that trust in the European Union is falling in Georgia. "Our people see that the European bureaucracy is hostile to them. This hostility is expressed in concrete steps," he said, adding that, for example, China has a different approach: Beijing sees Tbilisi as an equal partner and does not apply double standards.
From cold to rupture
Georgia has been declaring its course towards joining the European Union for many years. An agreement on Euro-association was signed between the parties, visa restrictions were lifted, and in the spring of 2022, Tbilisi officially applied to join the association. Brussels also provided serious financial support to Georgian ministries and departments.
In recent years, however, the relationship has been in deep crisis. Georgia has not agreed to impose its own sanctions against Russia, and has maintained and even expanded economic ties with Moscow. Tbilisi has also repeatedly said that Brussels demands to open a "second front" against the Russian Federation, and the refusal to take military action allegedly also caused a rift.
In addition, the Georgian domestic policy has changed quite a lot. The authorities have passed a controversial law on foreign agents, which has increased control over pro-Western NGOs and NGOs, increased pressure on the media, and tightened the rules for holding rallies. The law banning LGBT propaganda (an extremist movement banned in Russia) also caused a lot of outrage in the EU.
As a result, in the summer of 2024, the European Union announced the suspension of Georgia's admission to the union and froze the provision of financial assistance. Relations became even more tense after the parliamentary elections in the Transcaucasian republic, which took place in the same autumn. As a result, in November 2024, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Tbilisi, for its part, was also postponing negotiations on joining the EU until 2028.
Interestingly, despite all the disagreements with Brussels, Tbilisi did not abandon the idea of joining the EU sometime in the future. Firstly, numerous opinion polls showed that even among the supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party, the majority favored joining the union. The pro-Western opposition, although it could not claim power, brought people to large-scale street rallies.
Secondly, there were a lot of hopes that the European Union itself would undergo some changes. Viktor Orban, who was the main lobbyist for the Georgian Dream in the EU and the right-wing forces in Europe as a whole, demonstrated serious activity. It was also expected that the administration of Donald Trump would make efforts to reformat the European political scene, turning from liberal to conservative values.
Now the situation has changed noticeably. Formally, the street actions of the opposition are still ongoing, but the former mass is no longer there. Opinion polls show that support for the idea of joining the EU is declining, although it still remains high. Previously, about 80-85% of citizens unequivocally supported joining the association, but now the figure is 71%.
Finally, the expectations for changes within the European Union have not been fulfilled. Viktor Orban's party lost the parliamentary elections in Hungary and went into opposition. The bet on Donald Trump didn't play out either. His administration, which at first loudly criticized European elites, got bogged down in the Middle East conflict and reduced its activity in the Old World.
In such circumstances, Georgia began to reassess its foreign policy vector. Other areas have recently become increasingly important for the republic. In June, Georgia and China upgraded their relations to a strategic comprehensive partnership. "Friendship and relations with Beijing are of exceptional importance to us," Irakli Kobakhidze said in this regard.
In addition, contacts with Central Asian countries have noticeably intensified. This summer, Tbilisi signed strategic partnership agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The first official visits of the Georgian Prime Minister to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan took place, and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov visited Transcaucasia. These negotiations have traditionally focused on the development of transport corridors and Georgia's transit function.
What the experts say
Archil Sikharulidze, a political scientist and founder of the SIKHA Foundation Research Institute, explains that the Georgian authorities are changing their attitude towards European integration due to changes in the EU itself.
— Initially, joining the EU meant strengthening security and improving the socio-economic situation. But now Europe is not in a position to help Georgia either on one point or on another. The union is in a state of fierce confrontation with Russia and is experiencing a serious economic downturn. Moreover, Brussels has groundlessly quarreled with the Georgian ruling party and does not want to change anything in its policy. In addition, we hear arguments about the introduction of some kind of incomplete membership for new candidates. There are quite logical questions about why join such an alliance," he notes.
Shota Apkhaidze, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, says that the Georgian authorities are trying to maneuver, but in fact they are not going to abandon European integration.
— There is a trade between the West and Tbilisi. The European Union continues its campaign against the Georgian authorities, who are trying to encourage Brussels to engage in dialogue. I do not think that the Georgian Dream is actually ready to officially abandon the idea of European integration. They have done a lot for joining the EU themselves, besides they are afraid of the opposition and street unrest. They will probably speculate on this topic, but it won't go beyond words," he believes.
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