Georgia postpones EU membership bid until 2028

Since 2012, Georgia has been governed by the Georgian Dream party, which critics have accused of trying to move the country away from the EU and closer to Russia.

The party claimed victory in last month’s election, but opposition MPs are boycotting the new parliament, alleging fraud, while the country’s President, Salome Zurabishvili, has called the vote “unconstitutional”.

On Thursday, the European Parliament backed a resolution, external describing the election as the latest stage in Georgia’s “worsening democratic crisis” and saying that the ruling party was “fully responsible”.

It expressed particular concern about reports of vote buying and manipulation, voter intimidation and harassment of observers.

Following the resolution, Kobakhidze said his government had “decided not to bring up the issue of joining the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028”.

Georgia has had official EU candidate status since 2023, though Brussels had already halted the accession process earlier this year over a Russia-style law targeting organisations accused of “pursuing the interests of a foreign power”.

Kobakhidze said Georgia would continue to implement the reforms required for accession and that it still planned to join by 2030, but added that it was “crucial for the EU to respect our national interests and traditional values”.