According to Rikard Jozwiak, Europe editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the European Commission is preparing a letter that threatens the Georgian Dream government with the suspension of visa-free travel.
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“The European Commission is preparing a letter to Georgia threatening with visa liberalization suspension. Ultimately, it’s up to the EU member states that decide on this via a qualified majority,” Jozwiak wrote on platform X.
The current situation in Georgia will be discussed tomorrow, July 15, within the format of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. During the meeting, the foreign ministers of EU member states will consider possible measures in response to the Georgian government’s growing repression.
According to RFE/RL, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, is expected to send a letter to the Georgian Dream government ahead of the July 15 session. The letter will contain a warning that visa liberalization could be suspended unless the Georgian government takes meaningful steps to return to the European path.
The document, obtained by Radio Liberty, outlines five steps the Georgian government must take to normalize the situation. These include halting repression against civil society, the opposition, and the media; releasing unjustly imprisoned individuals; and repealing repressive legislation.
When the EU Council votes on a proposal by the European Commission or the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, it is adopted if a qualified majority is reached. A qualified majority is achieved when two conditions are met: 1. At least 55% of member states (i.e., 15 countries) support the proposal; 2. Those supporting states represent at least 65% of the total EU population.
On July 9, the European Parliament adopted another critical resolution concerning Georgia. It emphasizes the European Parliament's stance that new parliamentary elections are necessary to overcome the current crisis in Georgia. It also states that the EU and its member states must urgently reassess their relationship with the Georgian Dream regime and take concrete measures to support civil society and the media.
The European Parliament calls on the European Commission and the European Council to review Georgia's visa-free travel status, with the possibility of its suspension, due to the actions of Georgian Dream.
The resolution once again underlines the responsibility of Bidzina Ivanishvili for the deterioration of the political process in Georgia and calls for the EU, in cooperation with other jurisdictions, in particular the United Kingdom, to freeze his financial assets. Additionally, it calls on the EU and its member states to unilaterally and coordinately impose personal sanctions against the main political leaders, officials, and facilitators of the Georgian Dream regime within the administration, business, media, judicial system, law enforcement agencies, and the election commission. The resolution further calls for sanctions to extend to mid- and lower-level public officials responsible for implementing repressive measures against the regime’s opponents.
