The European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Report delivers its harshest assessment yet of Georgia’s democratic decline, warning that the country’s EU accession process has “de facto reached a halt” following a year marked by repression, human rights violations, and hostile anti-EU rhetoric from the ruling Georgian Dream government.
In the 2025 Georgia Report, published on November 4, the Commission concludes that “Georgia’s candidate status remains in name only” after the authorities’ decision not to pursue the opening of EU accession negotiations until 2028. The report says that instead of advancing reforms tied to its candidate status, Georgia has “further derailed from the EU path.”
“In November 2024, the Georgian authorities’ decision not to pursue the opening of accession negotiations unequivocally confirmed their shift away from the policies of previous governments, the European aspirations of the vast majority of the Georgian people, and the commitment inscribed in the Constitution of Georgia of ensuring Georgia’s full integration into the EU,” the report states.
According to the Commission, Georgia has experienced “significant backsliding” in the functioning of democratic institutions. The report documents widespread repression against civil society, journalists, and opposition politicians, noting that “Civil liberties, the principle of checks and balances, and democratic decisionmaking have been eroded.”
The government’s crackdown, the Commission says, has “effectively abolished civic participation and the system of checks and balances.” Eight opposition figures were sentenced to seven or eight months in prison and barred from public office for two years, while other opposition leader faces criminal investigations carrying sentences of up to 15 years. Peaceful protesters and journalists were subjected to “arbitrary detentions and disproportionate use of force.”
The October 2024 parliamentary elections and October 2025 local elections were both marred by “high political polarisation, intimidation, violence and reports of voter coercion,” according to OSCE/ODIHR findings cited by the Commission.
“The elections took place in a tense and highly polarised environment amid serious concerns about the impact of legislation restricting fundamental freedoms,” the report says, noting that none of the OSCE/ODIHR’s priority recommendations have been implemented.
“The lead-up to the (local self-government elections, October 4, 2025) elections was marked by intense political polarisation, violence, as well as intimidation targeting civil society and independent media. Most opposition parties boycotted the elections. The amendments to the electoral legislation favouring the ruling party, coupled with the extensive crackdown on dissent, drastically reduced the possibility of holding competitive elections. Furthermore, the refusal by the Georgian authorities to invite international observers in due time, in particular OSCE/ODIHR, undermined the transparency of the electoral process and prevented credible international monitoring. Domestic observers were also largely absent due to the repressive environment”.
As a result of the 2024 elections, the Georgian Parliament now consists almost entirely of ruling party members and affiliates. The opposition’s boycott, coupled with the government’s dominance, has left “an absence of effective parliamentary oversight and a consolidation of executive power.”
The report describes the operating environment for civil society as “repressive and deteriorating.”
The adoption of multiple restrictive laws, including the Foreign Agents Registration Act and amendments to the Law on Grants, have “a chilling effect on civil society and threaten the very survival of independent civic actors in the country.”
In October 2025, the Venice Commission found that the combined impact of these laws was “coercive, stigmatising, and ultimately inconsistent with democratic pluralism,” and called for their repeal.
Civil society groups, the report notes, have faced “intimidation, vandalism, threats, freezing of bank accounts, and court-approved information orders from the Anti-Corruption Bureau.” Parliament also “removed the requirement for the mandatory participation of NGOs in public decision-making,” eliminating one of the few remaining mechanisms for civic consultation.
“The cumulative effect of new legislation threatens the very survival of independent civil society and is fundamentally incompatible with EU values of democracy, rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and media pluralism,” the Commission warns.
Georgia’s judicial system is described as being at “an early stage of preparation” after two consecutive years of backsliding.
Amendments to the Law on Common Courts, passed in June 2025, “undermine the independence and integrity of the judicial system and exacerbate risks of judicial capture,” the Commission says. The new rules reverse earlier reforms, weaken accountability, and “ jeopardise the accountability and impartiality of key judicial institutions and judges.”
The report also documents “harsh and disproportionate sentences inflicted on protesters,” calling them evidence that “the judiciary is being used by the governing party to enforce a system of repression.”
Fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and assembly, have been “severely curtailed,” the Commission notes, citing the widespread use of excessive force and arbitrary detention.
“Ill-treatment of participants in protests, in some cases amounting to torture or inhuman and degrading treatment, was widespread during the reporting period,” the report states.
Investigations into police violence have “not resulted in bringing the perpetrators to justice,” and the abolition of the Special Investigation Service has further weakened accountability.
Freedom of expression also “declined to an early stage of preparation.” Amendments to the Law on Broadcasting and the Foreign Agents Act have “negatively affected the right to freedom of expression and the ability of the media to operate freely,” while journalists face “intimidation, threats, and physical assault.”
The Commission highlights “backsliding” in Georgia’s alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Georgia’s alignment rate with EU foreign policy statements and sanctions decisions dropped from 53% in 2024 to 40% in 2025.
“Georgia did not join most restrictive measures relating to Russia, Iran and Belarus and significantly increased direct flights to multiple destinations in Russia,” the report says.
The Commission expresses “concern” over the re-export of “high-priority and economically critical goods” to Russia, warning that Georgia must “step up cooperation to prevent the use of its territory or legal entities registered in Georgia to circumvent EU restrictive measures.”
The report notes that Georgia’s economy remains “moderately prepared” for EU integration and continues to grow strongly despite political instability. Low inflation and rising wages have increased real household income, making consumption the main driver of growth in Georgia, Moldova, and the Western Balkans.
At the same time, the Commission says the decision to halt accession negotiations until 2028 “created high uncertainty for businesses,” while structural weaknesses and slow state enterprise reforms remain unaddressed.
Georgia “generally maintains good bilateral relations” with its neighbours and other enlargement countries. The report notes “strategic partnership and high-level contacts” with Turkey, and “traditionally good relations” with Moldova. However, Ukraine has expressed concern about Georgia’s “non-alignment with EU sanctions against Russia and the absence of military-technical cooperation.”
“Georgia has experienced serious democratic backsliding, with a rapid erosion of the rule of law and fundamental rights being severely restricted”, – the annual Enlargement Package says. “The systemic and systematic repressive actions of the authorities, including legislation curtailing civic space and fundamental rights, the functioning of independent media and targeting LGBTIQ persons, excessive use of force in full impunity by the law enforcement authorities and hostile rhetoric against the EU, are in stark contrast with EU values and the actions expected from an EU candidate country.”
The Commission says that until the Georgian government changes course, it will “reduce high-level political contacts, suspend bilateral assistance directly benefiting the authorities, and increase support for civil society and independent media.”
Georgia, it warns, must “urgently reverse its course of democratic backsliding and take comprehensive and tangible steps to address existing problems,” in full respect of EU principles and values.
The Commission concludes that it considers Georgia “a candidate country in name only”.
Presenting the Enlargement Report in Brussels, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos delivered one of the strongest public rebukes of a candidate government in recent years:
“In Georgia, the situation has sharply deteriorated, with serious democratic backsliding. Probably never, ever before, one of the enlargement reports has been really speaking so much about backsliding. We saw a rapid erosion of the rule of law and severe restrictions on fundamental rights. Georgian authorities need to urgently reverse their course. Georgian citizens demand a European future, and they have our support. For the Commission, the candidate status for Georgia exists only on the paper”.
Addressing both the Georgian public and its leaders, Kos added:
“I have a very important message for the citizens of Georgia. Especially because as you know the government is telling the citizens that they are bringing them in the EU. Dear government of Georgia – you are not bringing your people to the EU. You are bringing your people away from the EU. If you are serious about the EU then listen to your people and stop putting opposition leaders, journalists and people who think differently than you into jail, then we can talk.”
