EU commissioner says Georgia is an EU candidate “only on paper”
In short
EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Marta Kos said Georgia is a candidate for EU membership “only on paper”, adding that further work with Georgia will depend largely on how member states assess it in enlargement reports due at the end of October. Georgian parliamentary majority leader Irakli Kirzkhalia rejected the assessment, saying Georgia’s lag behind Moldova and Ukraine is greatly exaggerated. Relations between Tbilisi and Brussels remain tense, and the EU has not recognised the results of Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections.
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The European Commission’s commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood policy, Marta Kos, said Georgia is a candidate for European Union membership “only on paper”. She said how the EU continues to work with Georgia will depend largely on how the member states assess its future in enlargement reports due at the end of October. The assessment was reported by RIA Novosti, Interfax and Kommersant. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kos said she regretted the situation and wished Georgia, with strong support from the Georgian people, were at the same level as Moldova and Ukraine. According to Interfax, she made the remarks at a press conference while answering a journalist’s question. [ 2 , 3 ]
The leader of Georgia’s parliamentary majority, Irakli Kirzkhalia, responded in a social media post. Interfax reported him as saying that Georgia’s lag behind Moldova and Ukraine is greatly exaggerated, because Georgia is ahead of those countries on all indicators, and that “if progress in Brussels is determined by how silently a country fulfils specific political requirements, then this is no longer European integration”. Kommersant quoted him as saying that Georgia seeks EU membership “but not at any cost and not to the detriment of Georgia’s interests”, that it should be treated as an equal state, and that measuring progress by unquestioning compliance would be a test of obedience rather than integration based on real achievements. [ 2 , 3 ]
According to Interfax, relations between the EU and Georgia are extremely tense, including because Brussels has still not publicly recognised the legitimacy of the current Georgian authorities elected in the 2024 parliamentary elections. Kommersant said relations between Tbilisi and Brussels worsened after the ruling Georgian Dream party adopted several laws in 2023–2024 restricting the activity of non-governmental organisations; the EU did not recognise the results of the October 2024 parliamentary elections, and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced in the same year that Georgia was suspending accession talks. Kommersant also noted that candidate status does not give Georgia the right to join and that, without meeting agreed conditions, candidacy can remain formal. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The commissioner’s remarks put Georgia’s EU candidacy in question ahead of member-state enlargement reports due at the end of October, which she said will largely determine how work with Tbilisi continues. Georgia’s government has already suspended accession talks and Brussels has not publicly recognised the current Georgian authorities, leaving the candidacy formal rather than a route to membership. Kommersant notes that candidate status alone does not oblige the EU to admit a country.
Key facts
- EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Marta Kos said Georgia is an EU candidate country “only on paper”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kos said how the EU continues to work with Georgia will depend largely on how member states assess its future in enlargement reports due at the end of October. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Kos said she would like Georgia, with strong support from the Georgian people, to be at the same level as Moldova and Ukraine. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Leader of the parliamentary majority Irakli Kirzkhalia said Georgia’s lag behind Moldova and Ukraine is greatly exaggerated and that Georgia leads those countries on all indicators. [ 2 ]
- Kirzkhalia said Georgia seeks EU membership “but not at any cost and not to the detriment of Georgia’s interests”. [ 3 ]
- Brussels has still not publicly recognised the legitimacy of the current Georgian authorities elected in the 2024 parliamentary elections. [ 2 ]
- Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the suspension of Georgia’s EU accession talks in 2024. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant notes that candidate status does not give a country the right to join the EU, and that candidacy can remain formal without meeting agreed conditions. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Marta Kos said Georgia is an EU candidate country “only on paper”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kos said further work with Georgia will depend largely on how EU member states assess its future in enlargement reports due at the end of October. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Georgian parliamentary majority leader Irakli Kirzkhalia publicly responded to the assessment, disputing the comparison with Moldova and Ukraine. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Relations between Georgia and the EU are tense. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether EU member states will keep Georgia moving on the enlargement track. Kos said this depends on member states’ assessments in enlargement reports due at the end of October, and the documents do not say what those assessments will be.
- The exact wording of Irakli Kirzkhalia’s response. Interfax and Kommersant quote different passages of his comments, so the documents do not establish his full statement.
- The reasons for the deterioration in EU-Georgia relations. Interfax points to Brussels not recognising the legitimacy of the current Georgian authorities, while Kommersant points to laws restricting non-governmental organisations and the suspension of accession talks; each cause is reported by a single outlet.
- When Georgia’s parliamentary elections were held. Interfax says only 2024, while Kommersant specifies October 2024.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Marta Kos says at a press conference that Georgia is an EU candidate “only on paper”; the documents do not give the time of the briefing. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- RIA Novosti publishes a headline reporting the European Commission’s assessment of Georgia’s candidacy. [ 1 ]
- Interfax reports Kos’s remarks and Irakli Kirzkhalia’s response that Georgia’s lag behind Moldova and Ukraine is exaggerated. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant reports the same statements and adds background on the deterioration of EU-Georgia relations and the suspension of accession talks. [ 3 ]