EU sanctions may target Georgian officials over anti-European policies, analyst

Sanctions against Georgia could be expanded to include individuals and institutions implementing anti-European policies associated with the ruling Georgian Dream party, political analyst David Darchiashvili, director of the Center for Russian Studies, said on Friday.

Speaking to local media, Darchiashvili said that possible measures under discussion within the European Union may begin with a suspension of the visa-free regime, potentially to be implemented after a transitional period.

“At the first stage, a decision may be made to abolish the visa regime again, but with the reservation that after a few months it will be implemented and this will already apply to everyone,” Darchiashvili explained.

He emphasized that while the European Parliament adopts non-binding recommendations, the EU’s executive bodies tend to align with its direction. He added that sanctions were expected to target those enforcing what he called the Georgian Dream’s anti-European agenda - including actors within the judiciary, police, and executive branches.