EU warns Georgia not to ban opposition parties

Georgia’s hopes of joining the bloc have been dashed in recent months after Brussels effectively froze its membership application in response to a new Russian-style law that will brand Western-supported NGOs and media outlets as “foreign agents” and a heavy-handed crackdown on pro-democracy protests. The Commission handed the South Caucasus country candidate status late last year, despite warnings over backsliding on human rights.

On Friday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze vowed to go further, threatening to officially dissolve the pro-Western factions in parliament following the elections planned for October. MPs elected on opposition platforms would be barred from taking up their seats, with Kobakhidze branding them “criminal political forces.” The move, he insisted, would not stand in the way of Georgia joining the EU.

“The current course of action jeopardizes Georgia’s EU path, de facto leading to a halt of the accession process,” said Stano in response. “The European Commission is closely observing the rhetoric and developments in Georgia, and is ready to react in an appropriate manner. All options are on the table and we would act accordingly if these statements are enacted.”

However, he added, the door to membership “remains open, should Georgia choose to realign with EU values and norms and reverse the negative tendencies of the last months.”