German envoy in Georgia: 'Georgia strayed from European path'
German envoy on Georgia’s EU integration
Germany’s ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, told Radio Free Europe that Georgia has strayed from the European path. As a result, he said, Germany is no longer actively working on Georgia’s EU integration. Fischer stressed that this outcome stems from the actions of the Georgian side.
He added that Germany “endorses and agrees” with the European Commission’s 2025 enlargement report and expects EU leaders to approve it at the European Council meeting in December.
According to the European Commission’s 2025 enlargement report, the foundations of Georgia’s EU integration process have weakened significantly over the past year. The report notes that government actions have effectively stalled the country’s accession process.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said Georgia received the worst assessment in the history of candidate countries.
Peter Fischer: “In the European Commission’s enlargement report, published on 4 November, Vice-President Kaja Kallas stated that, given the current situation, Georgia has no realistic path to EU membership.
Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos added that this is the worst enlargement report any country has ever received.
For Georgians aspiring to join the European Union, this report is catastrophic. I have repeatedly stated publicly that the EU operates according to the rule of law. I encourage everyone to read the report online.
Germany agrees with the findings. Georgia has deviated from the path to EU membership, and that is Georgia’s responsibility, not ours. Still, this should serve as a warning to Georgian citizens. The issue of Georgia’s EU integration is not closed because we do not want Georgia. On the contrary, we granted it candidate status based on trust. But what has happened over the past year is alarming.
Under the current circumstances and course, Germany no longer works on enlargement in relation to Georgia, and neither does anyone else in the EU. Most likely, EU leaders will confirm this at the December European Council meeting.
The process has been halted due to the actions of the Georgian side. I don’t need to list all of these actions, but let me remind you: NGOs are being dismantled, protesters’ rights violated, political parties destroyed, and some opposition figures imprisoned. Laws are expected to pass that will ban political activity by anyone ever associated with a prohibited party, as well as legislation banning certain political parties altogether. Independent media are under enormous pressure.”
“At the very start, I must make a very important clarification. <…> I am a German diplomat, representing Germany’s interests as part of the European Union and, in part, the EU itself in Georgia.
I have never interfered and will never interfere in Georgia’s domestic politics or internal affairs.
I have never supported and will never support any political party in Georgia. I have not done so and will not do so. I have never violated and will not violate the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Article III, paragraph four of the Vienna Convention states that one of a diplomatic agent’s duties is to collect information about the country to which they are posted by all lawful means and report it to their home country. That is exactly what I do. No one can provide any evidence that I have engaged in illegal activity.
I apologise for this lengthy clarification, but I know that after this interview [the Georgian authorities] will accuse me of all of the above, yet none of these accusations are true and will not be true.”
German envoy on Georgia’s EU integration
