For Georgia leader Gakharia urges EU to tie candidate status to democratic reforms

The leader of the opposition For Georgia party, former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, has called on the European Union to condition the retention of Georgia’s EU candidate status on concrete democratic reforms, including the release of “political prisoners” arrested during pro-EU rallies and the organisation of free and fair elections.

In an interview with Caucasus Watch, Gakharia argued that if the EU decided to retain Georgia's candidate status while publicly questioning the government's legitimacy and setting clear democratic conditions, it could effectively pressure the ruling party without derailing the country's European trajectory.

“Despite anti-European propaganda, the majority of the Georgian population perceives integration with the EU as a national aspiration that unites all layers of society,” said Gakharia.

He accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of treating EU integration as a threat to its power due to the bloc’s emphasis on transparency, power-sharing, and inclusive governance - values that he claimed contradict the interests of what he described as an increasingly authoritarian elite.

“The Georgian Dream has fully adopted Orbán-style anti-democratic methods and narratives,” Gakharia said, referencing Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. “At the same time, it maintains only a facade of relations with the West, aiming to present itself as a pro-European force while misleading both domestic and international audiences.”

Gakharia also criticised the government’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, alleging that its rhetoric echoed Kremlin disinformation and undermines Georgia’s sovereignty. He said the ruling party blamed Western allies for Russian aggression and falsely claimed that strategic partners were pressuring Georgia to open a second front.

“This loyalty to Moscow distances Georgia from its allies and jeopardises our democratic future,” he warned.

While accusing the government of authoritarian tendencies at home, Gakharia said it continued to benefit from access to Western markets, making the country attractive to unregulated capital and reinforcing existing power structures.

“My commitment to Georgia’s European future is unequivocal and irrevocable,” the opposition leader concluded. “If the EU decides to retain Georgia's candidate status and attaches real reform conditions, it can support the Georgian people without enabling authoritarianism.”

The European Union granted Georgia candidate status in late 2024. Since then, concerns have grown in Brussels over democratic backsliding and the government's alignment with illiberal political models.