EU suspends enlargement talks with Georgia citing ‘gross election violations,’ opposition leader

The European Union has halted ongoing expansion negotiations with Georgia over alleged “gross violations” of democratic principles during recent elections, Anna Dolidze, a leader of the Strong Georgia coalition, said on Thursday.

The decision, rooted in issues such as election “terror, intimidation, and falsification,” places Georgia behind other Eastern European countries in its EU integration progress, Dolidze claimed.

The opposition leader claimed Georgia’s strategic partners “have frequently warned” that the nation’s aspirations for EU membership were “zero” under the leadership of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

While nations like Albania advance in EU talks and receive additional funding, Georgia’s pathway is now halted due to what Dolidze described as “failures to reform electoral legislation and ensure free and fair elections”.

“This is a clear signal to the Georgian Dream and to the Georgian people: our chance to join the European Union under this government is non-existent”, she said.

The politician emphasized the importance of international non-recognition of what she called “ugly elections” that “ignored the will” of the Georgian majority. According to Dolidze, Russian “influence, supported by Russian special services”, had compounded Georgia’s democratic challenges.

Dolidze further pointed to Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili as a “significant advocate” in the fight for a “democratic and European Georgia”.

She expressed optimism that the international community remained aligned with Georgia’s pro-European aspirations, noting that Georgian leaders would continue to pursue a path toward EU integration.