Opinion: 'European bodies deliver verdict on Georgia’s government'
According to sociologist Iago Kachkachishvili, Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, has spent years trying to convince voters that EU membership is only a matter of time. In reality, he says, the party has been stalling the process and undermining trust in the West.
The sociologist also says that, alongside this rhetoric, the government has been using tactics to suppress the opposition and clear the political field domestically.
According to the European Commission’s 2025 enlargement report, Georgia’s process of European integration has effectively stalled. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos described it as the worst report ever prepared on a candidate country.
Iago Kachkachishvili: “The Georgian government has never received such a sharp and harsh assessment in the context of EU enlargement. The European Commission has effectively stated that as long as Georgian Dream remains in power, Georgia’s integration into the EU is out of the question. In essence, this is a verdict delivered by European institutions on the Georgian government.
“Georgian Dream claimed that although it is pausing the EU accession negotiations, the process would resume in 2028 and that by 2030 we would ‘most likely join the EU.’ In this case, Georgian Dream’s logic was that liberal forces in the EU are losing influence while conservatives are gaining strength. This was the bait Georgian Dream offered to its voters.”
“Georgian Dream has now shifted to the narrative that the EU—whether liberal or conservative—is an enemy of Georgia, and that the country should abandon its EU aspirations. The party’s domestic policy, namely clearing the political field of the opposition, is designed to prevent pro-Western forces from participating in elections.
“What Georgian Dream has so far failed to achieve, despite its efforts, is securing the consent of the majority of society for authoritarian rule. For an authoritarian government to feel secure, it needs the loyalty of most of the population; without it, its power remains fragile.”
Sociologist on Georgia’s EU membership
