In a press release issued on Friday 6 March, the European Commission announced the immediate one-year suspension of visa-free travel for Georgian nationals holding diplomatic service and official passports.
This decision marks the very first activation of the new revised visa suspension mechanism (see EUROPE 13753/29), which came into force last December. According to Executive Vice-President of the Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen, this follows a significant deterioration in Georgia’s democratic situation, with “violent repression against peaceful protestors, political opponents and independent media“.
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner added that it was the EU’s responsibility to react to what he described as “democratic backsliding”.
As early as December 2024, the Commission proposed restricting visas for Georgian civil servants in response to the repression of protest movements and the adoption of repressive laws (see EUROPE 13550/12). Less than three months ago, the eighth report on visa liberalisation regimes also deplored the country’s lack of alignment with European policy, citing the Georgian authorities’ granting of visa-free travel to Chinese citizens (see EUROPE 13778/11).
The suspension could be extended to two years, or even apply to “all Georgian citizens”, if the authorities fail to remedy “the governance and Rule of law issues”, the press release stresses.
The EU condemns new legislation on foreign financing. On the same day, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos denounced the Georgian parliament’s adoption the previous day of the legislative package on foreign funding and political activity. This adoption “is part of a systematic effort of the Georgian authorities to restrict the country’s democratic and civic space”, they stressed in a press release, pointing out that this new legislation introduced an extensive system of state control over political activity. The legislation “introduces potential criminal liability for individuals or entities receiving support from foreign sources. Its vague provisions create profound legal uncertainty and major risks of arbitrary and selective enforcement”, deplored the High Representative and the commissioner.
Kaja Kallas and Marta Kos pointed out that, like the decision on visas, “the Georgian authorities’ actions have consequences”. “At this point in time, we note with deep regret that Georgia is a candidate country [for EU membership] in name only”. (Original version in French by Justine Manaud and Camille-Cerise Gessant)