EU freezes funds for Georgia amid concerns over democratic backsliding

The European Union has suspended over €100 million in funding allocated to the Georgian government, with additional fund reallocations under consideration, amid growing concerns about the country’s democratic regression. The announcement was made by EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos during her address to the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

Expressing deep regret, Kos criticized the Georgian government for moving away from its EU integration path, despite the Georgian people’s clear constitutional and public commitment to Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

“The actions of the Georgian government against peaceful demonstrators, opposition figures, civil society organizations, and journalists are entirely unacceptable,” Kos said. She highlighted that Georgian citizens have consistently taken to the streets to reaffirm their commitment to EU integration, underscoring their desire to maintain this trajectory.

In addition to the funding freeze, Kos revealed that the EU is exploring partial suspension of the visa liberalization agreement with Georgia. This would impose visa requirements on holders of Georgian diplomatic passports, with EU member states set to vote on the measure by the end of January.

Meanwhile, the EU supports Georgia’s civil society and independent media. A total of €8.5 million has already been redirected to these sectors, with plans to allocate an additional €7 million to combat disinformation campaigns, which Kos linked to the leadership of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party.