Georgian parliament speaker names condition for restoring ties with EU

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated that relations with the European Union would be restored once EU institutions stop supporting what he described as radicalism.

“As soon as various institutions of the European Union abandon their support for radicalism, the path toward restoring relations will open immediately. Today, the obstacle to these relations is radicalism that is encouraged and funded by various EU funds, including through political statements,” Papuashvili said.

Georgia’s relations with the European Union have sharply deteriorated since mid-2024, after the ruling Georgian Dream party passed a “foreign agents” law and other restrictive legislation that Brussels viewed as democratic backsliding, leading the EU to freeze the country’s accession process. 

In November 2024, the government announced it would not reopen EU membership talks until 2028, sparking sustained street protests and further criticism from European institutions over election integrity and civil liberties. 

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has repeatedly claimed that EU funding and statements encourage radical opposition groups and destabilisation inside Georgia, a charge he has levelled in letters to the EU ambassador and public remarks throughout 2025–2026. 

The EU, for its part, maintains that Tbilisi must reverse democratic backsliding before any meaningful re-engagement is possible.

By Jeyhun Aghazada