EU Says Georgia's Accession Process Remains 'De Facto Halted' Amid Democratic Backsliding
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, November 5, 2026
The European Commission has warned that Georgia's EU accession process remains effectively frozen, citing continued democratic decline, restrictions on fundamental rights and the government's failure to implement key reforms.
In its annual enlargement report and a separate communication published on November 4, the Commission said Georgia continued to fall short of the standards expected of an EU candidate country. It also warned that the authorities' failure to address concerns over democracy and human rights could put the wider visa-free regime at risk.
"Georgia has been on a collision course with the EU over democratic backsliding and fundamental rights. Georgia's accession remains de facto halted," EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said during a press briefing presenting the reports.
Asked about the bloc's next steps, Kallas said EU foreign ministers would hold further discussions on Georgia in January, focusing on "how to best actually support the people and their aspirations for European membership."
Georgia received EU candidate status in 2023, but relations with Brussels have deteriorated amid the Georgian Dream government's democratic rollback and increasingly hostile rhetoric towards the EU. In November 2025, the EU described Georgia as a candidate country "in name only" and moved to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders.
The Commission's 2026 Communication on EU enlargement policy said Georgia was losing the benefits associated with candidate status because of its continued failure to meet democratic standards.
"The continued backsliding on the fundamentals observed during the reporting period confirms that Georgia remains an EU candidate in name only and continues to forego the benefits that candidate status and the pre-accession process bring," the Commission said.
The document attributed the stalled accession process to the ruling party's actions against democratic institutions, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as well as further state capture.
"The ruling party in Georgia has continued to undermine the country's EU path by pursuing its attack on democratic principles, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as well as by enabling further state capture," the document said.
The Commission also pointed to increasingly restrictive legislation and the shrinking space for civil society.
It said Georgia had yet to fulfil the nine steps set out in the Commission's 2023 recommendation for candidate status. The authorities had also failed to address concerns that prompted the partial suspension of visa-free travel for diplomatic and service passport holders, raising the possibility of wider restrictions.
Brussels nevertheless reaffirmed its support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the Georgian public's European aspirations.
"The EU's longstanding support for Georgia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity stands firm, as does its unwavering support for the European aspirations of the Georgian people," the communication said.
The Commission said the accession process could be revived if the government changed course and returned to the principles required for EU membership.
"The Commission would welcome such a resumption in light of the strong people-to-people ties that exist and the broad and longstanding public support in Georgia for the country's democratic European future," it concluded.
In its assessment of democratic developments, the Commission repeatedly grouped Georgia with Turkey, highlighting problems with judicial independence, institutional safeguards and the protection of fundamental rights.
"In Georgia there has been further backsliding on the fundamentals, and the accession process remains de facto halted," the communication said.
Both countries were cited for further deterioration in democratic standards and the continued weakening of institutional checks and balances.
Georgia was also listed alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Turkey among countries where the risk of state capture remains particularly pronounced.
The report separately identified Georgia, Serbia and Turkey as countries where the safety of journalists had deteriorated.
The Commission also raised concerns about Georgia's October 2025 municipal elections, citing intimidation and pressure on independent media and civil society.
Meanwhile, Georgia's alignment with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy continued to decline, although the country's economic growth remained strong at 7.5%.
In its separate, 90-page Georgia report, the Commission said it would not issue recommendations on policy chapters beyond the fundamentals, citing the country's continued democratic backsliding and the need to prioritise the nine steps outlined in 2023.
The assessment pointed to the erosion of democratic institutions, growing concentration of power, restrictions on civil and political liberties and increasingly hostile anti-EU rhetoric.
"The state of democracy continued to deteriorate during the reporting period due to a growing erosion of democratic institutions, increased concentration of power, an escalating crackdown on civil and political liberties, further shrinking of the civic space, as well as hostile anti-EU rhetoric and disinformation," the report said.
The Commission also warned that attempts to ban major opposition parties through proceedings at the Constitutional Court threatened the foundations of democracy.
It said the authorities had failed to reform the electoral framework in line with longstanding recommendations. The 2025 local elections, according to the report, took place in a highly polarised and repressive environment that undermined competition and transparency.
New restrictions on political activity and participation were also flagged as inconsistent with international standards on pluralism and democracy.
"Political polarisation deepened and democratic pluralism deteriorated further," the report said, adding that most opposition leaders are "either facing criminal charges, in exile or imprisoned."
The Commission also questioned the government's stated commitment to EU membership, pointing to its political rhetoric and failure to implement reforms.
"The authorities' declared aspiration to join the EU is contradicted by their systematic engagement in hostile anti-EU rhetoric, undermining of fundamental values and failure to address key EU-related reforms," the document said.
The Commission raised concerns over the impact of legislation on human rights, particularly freedom of expression, assembly and association, as well as equality and non-discrimination.
According to the report, "human rights have been severely curtailed and undermined by increasingly repressive laws that infringe upon fundamental rights, in particular freedoms of expression, assembly and association, as well as equality and non-discrimination."
The Commission called for the release of all arbitrarily detained people, including politicians, journalists and activists, and urged the authorities to repeal legislation restricting fundamental rights.
The report specifically named the 2024 Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, the 2025 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), amendments to the laws on grants, assemblies and demonstrations, and political associations, as well as related changes to the Administrative Offences Code and Criminal Code.
It also called for the repeal of the 2024 legislative package on "family values and protection of minors."
The Commission further urged the authorities to investigate allegations of excessive force, torture and other ill-treatment by law enforcement officers and bring those responsible to justice.
Freedom of expression in Georgia continued to decline for a third consecutive year, the report found.
The Commission called for urgent measures to protect journalists and ensure proper legal follow-up to attacks and intimidation targeting media workers.
It also urged the repeal of laws restricting press freedom and called for an environment in which journalists and media organisations can operate without government censorship, retaliation, dismissals or legal punishment.
The Commission said Georgia had failed to implement nearly all recommendations made in the previous Visa Suspension Mechanism report.
"It backtracked further, in particular on key governance and rule-of-law benchmarks that form the basis for granting visa-free travel," the Commission said.
The report also referred to a June meeting with the Georgian delegation on the partial suspension of visa-free travel, noting that the discussions had not produced progress on the recommendations underpinning the measure.
The Commission called on the authorities to meet the visa liberalisation benchmarks and address concerns over Georgian nationals illegally staying in the EU and submitting unfounded asylum claims.
The report also documented a further decline in Georgia's alignment with EU foreign and security policy.
The Commission said there had been no political dialogue between Brussels and Tbilisi on the Common Foreign and Security Policy during the reporting period, following the EU's decision to downgrade political contacts in response to democratic backsliding.
Georgia's alignment with EU statements and decisions, including those concerning sanctions, stood at 38% as of September 1, 2026, compared with 40% in 2025.
The report said Georgia had not fully aligned with most sanctions against Russia, Belarus and Iran, or with several EU statements on Iran, Russia's malicious cyber activities and Israel and Lebanon.
Georgia has also not participated in EU Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations since 2023.
The Commission said that "security and defence cooperation has not progressed, due to the political developments in the country."
