Letter from European Parliamentarians to Borrell: Suspend Georgia’s EU candidacy

On May 7, a group of 31 MEPs wrote a letter to EU top diplomat Josep Borrell calling for the suspension of Georgia’s EU candidate status.

The correspondence states that “Georgian officials’ ongoing undemocratic behavior, particularly their assertiveness in enforcing a Russian-style law against foreign activists, in repressing and using coercion against quiet protesters, has crossed the threshold.”

The Foreign Agents Bill requires organizations that receive foreign funding to be designated as foreign agents and subject to stricter controls. The law, whose third and final reading is scheduled for May 17, is expected to crack down on NGOs and civil society organizations, including those responsible for monitoring electoral integrity and government corruption.

This reflects repressive Russian laws used to suppress critics of the Kremlin regime and is commonly known in Georgia as “Russian law”.

Attempts to pass the law have sparked nightly mass demonstrations across the country. In response, police intensified their crackdown on demonstrators with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons.

The letter called on Borrell to “take a tough stance” that would “send a clear signal to the Georgian authorities.”

In recent years we have made tireless efforts to support the Georgian people and their ambitions to join the EU. We remain committed to this endeavor; However, the democratic standards are uniform for all EU accession candidates and require compliance with them,” the letter concludes.

Polls consistently show that around 80% of Georgians support EU membership.

Source: Newsroom