EU alarmed over Georgia’s shift away from European integration

The European Union has voiced significant concern over the current situation in Georgia, indicating the country's apparent shift away from the EU's influence.

This sentiment was expressed by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell during a press conference after an informal gathering of foreign ministers from the 27 EU member states in Brussels, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"We also briefly discussed the situation in Georgia. We are extremely and increasingly concerned about the trajectory in this country, which is moving away from the European Union," Borrell stated.

Georgia is set to hold parliamentary elections on October 26. According to leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party, their current approval rating stands at about 60 per cent. Many opposition parties are expected to struggle to surpass the 5 per cent threshold needed to gain parliamentary seats. Some smaller opposition groups have already announced plans to merge with larger parties, such as Lelo, For Georgia, and Nova, which could improve their chances of entering parliament. Georgian Dream has been in power since 2012.

In May, the Georgian parliament enacted the "Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence," which the ruling party claims is intended to regulate the transparency of funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and media outlets. The law sparked widespread protests and strong reactions from both the EU and the US. Critics argue that the law obstructs Georgia's integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions and aims to dismantle the NGO sector. Currently, the Constitutional Court of Georgia is reviewing lawsuits against the law filed by President Salome Zourabichvili, opposition parties, NGOs, and journalists.