Georgia might lose visa-free access to the European Union amid growing tensions with Brussels, after the European Commission said it was unconvinced by the Georgian authorities’ recent concessions.
In a report published on December 19th, the Commission cited democratic backsliding, weak ‘rule-of-law’ standards, and growing divergence from EU visa policy as grounds for possible action.
The report noted that Georgia had shown “no meaningful progress” since a July warning from Brussels and had, in some areas, “further deteriorated.” It pointed in particular to sovereigntist legislative decisions affecting the ’LGBT rights.’ These, according to Brussels, undermine fundamental rights and contradict Georgia’s European commitments.
Under a revised visa suspension mechanism adopted in November, the EU could first suspend visa-free access for holders of diplomatic and official passports. If shortcomings persist, the suspension could later be extended to Georgia’s entire population.
Georgian officials strongly rejected the report, with parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili accusing Brussels of acting unfairly and politicising the issue. Relations between Georgia and the EU have sharply deteriorated since the country gained candidate membership status in 2023, with visa-free travel now emerging as a major point of contention.
