EU Commissioner Marta Kos: 'Report on Georgia is worst ever prepared for candidate country'
Marta Kos on the EU Commission’s report on Georgia
According to the European Union’s Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, the new European Commission report on Georgia is the worst assessment ever issued for a candidate country in the history of EU enlargement.
Kos says that improving relations between the European Union and Georgia will only be possible once the Georgian government stops pressuring civil society and the media, as well as arresting opposition leaders.
Marta Kos: “This is the worst report ever prepared for a candidate country.
The Georgian government is deceiving its own people. It claims to be bringing Georgia closer to the EU, but in reality, it is distancing the country from it. There is clear backsliding in many areas, especially in fundamental issues such as the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and media freedom.
The Georgian government is not defending the interests of its own people. The only way forward for the government is to review many laws that are clearly anti-European. It must stop arresting its opponents and journalists, and end further persecution of civil society organisations. It is hard for us to support them when they face imprisonment.
It is clear that Georgia remains, on paper, a candidate country for EU membership, but for the European Commission that status exists only nominally. We will do everything possible to support the media and civil society organisations.”
According to the European Commission’s enlargement report for 2025, published on 4 November, Georgia’s process of European integration has effectively come to a halt.
The report states that legislative changes and repressive measures adopted in Georgia have restricted the ability of civil society, independent media, and the opposition to take an active part in political processes, including the country’s European integration.
Marta Kos on the EU Commission’s report on Georgia
