Georgia’s elections to determine country's path towards Europe EU foreign policy chief says

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, expressed concerns over the state of democracy in Georgia, stating that the country is experiencing a "regression of democracy."

Borrell emphasized the significance of the upcoming elections, calling them a "moment of truth" for the Georgian people, Caliber.Az reports citing Georgian media.

He asserted that these elections will provide an opportunity for citizens to choose their future direction—either toward greater integration with Europe or away from it.

"This is a crucial moment for us, and even more so for Georgia, because the future of the country is at stake," Borrell stated.

On October 26, Georgia will conduct its tenth parliamentary elections since gaining independence from the Soviet Union. Following a protracted and turbulent effort to reform the electoral system, the regulations have once again changed.

For the first time in the country's history, all 150 seats in the unicameral legislature will be filled using a fully proportional system. This means that all seats will be allocated based on the overall percentage of votes received by a party in a single nationwide election.

Alongside a five per cent electoral threshold that parties must meet to secure seats, and a prohibition on political blocs, these alterations are set to impact the behaviour and activities of both voters and political parties.

By Vafa Guliyeva