Politico: European Commissioners “less confident” about Georgia’s candidate status

The European Commission will recommend granting Ukraine official status as an EU candidate country. The commissioners were generally supportive of Moldova, where a staunchly pro-EU government is now in place, but that they were less confident about Georgia, which has suffered from pervasive political turmoil and notable democratic backsliding in recent years, Politico cited several officials as saying, familiar with deliberations that took place during a debate among commissioners on Monday.

The debate in the College of Commissioners followed a surprise visit Saturday by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Kyiv, where she discussed Ukraine’s membership bid with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It was von der Leyen’s second trip to the Ukrainian capital since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in late February.

In discussions about candidate status for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, many EU officials and diplomats have noted the sensitivity given the slow pace of accession for Western Balkan countries, including North Macedonia, which was declared a candidate country in 2005; Montenegro, which received the designation in 2008; and Serbia and Albania, which were recognized as candidates in 2009, said the media outlet.