Gov’t EU integration action plan lacks clarity – opposition MP

Roman Gotsiridze, the opposition MP, on Tuesday claimed the Government’s action plan for opening accession talks with the European Union “lacks clarity on how it intends to reform the judicial and electoral systems, and falls short in outlining the implementation of existing recommendations in these areas”. 

Gotsiridze criticized the government’s approach, stating, “the half-hearted document fails to demonstrate a commitment to implementing the high-standard recommendations of the European Union. Compliance with the 12-point European recommendations [for EU candidacy] should not pose a challenge for any well-functioning state. These recommendations were crucial for advancing our path towards EU integration, yet the Georgian Dream has shown a lack of substantial progress in this regard, Even the basic recommendations have been left unfulfilled OR partially fulfilled”. 

He went on to highlight specific shortcomings, noting, “for instance, the standard of de-oligarchization has been set so low that it effectively bans parties associated with legal entities. The Georgian Dream seems content with addressing minor issues, avoiding substantial reforms that could potentially weaken the party’s grip on power. The implementation standard of recommendations by the GD is disappointingly low, reducing the document to a checklist of elementary tasks.”