PM Kobakhidze says Georgia leads all EU candidate countries in democracy, governance, economic development

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday said Georgia remains the leading country among European Union candidate states, arguing that it outperforms not only Ukraine and Moldova but all candidate countries across a range of indicators.

Speaking during a debate on Rustavi 2 television, Kobakhidze said the situation surrounding Georgia's EU integration process demonstrates that the country is ahead of its peers in areas including democracy, human rights, the rule of law and anti-corruption efforts.

"The overall situation surrounding Georgia in the context of European integration is absolutely clear. Concrete facts confirm that Georgia is a leader among candidate countries, not only in comparison with Moldova and Ukraine, but among all candidate countries in every respect," Kobakhidze said.

The Prime Minister also pointed to economic performance, saying Georgia's growth rates and development indicators surpass those of other candidate countries.

Kobakhidze contrasted Georgia's political environment with those of Ukraine and Moldova, focusing on elections, political pluralism and media freedom.

Referring to Ukraine, he noted that elections are not currently being held because of the war, while criticising the conduct of recent elections in Moldova and raising concerns about political competition in the country.

The Prime Minister also addressed the issue of political party bans, rejecting criticism directed at Georgia over legal efforts to seek the prohibition of certain political parties through the Constitutional Court.

According to Kobakhidze, Ukraine banned 11 political parties, while Moldova prohibited one major opposition bloc in 2023 and barred two parties from participating in parliamentary elections in 2025.

He further argued that media freedom in Georgia is stronger than in either Ukraine or Moldova.

The Prime Minister claimed that more than 100 television channels had ceased broadcasting or lost their licences in Ukraine in recent years, while 12 television channels had their licences revoked or suspended in Moldova.

Kobakhidze said international criticism directed at Georgia is not applied equally to developments in other candidate countries, arguing that different standards are being used in assessing democratic and political processes.