Georgia towards the EU

ita eng
19 December 2023

On December 14, Georgia obtained the status of EU candidate country. There was a celebration in the Georgian capital: on the stage in the central square of Tbilisi were the highest authorities of the Georgian Dream government. Images and texts by Onnik James Krikorian.

However President Salome Zourabichvili, in open conflict with the government, was not invited. Zourabichvili, who unlike the government has long been committed to greater European integration for Georgia, walked among the cheering crowd: many asked her to take a selfie.

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On Friday 15 December, thousands of Georgians assembled in Tbilisi’s Freedom Square following a decision by the European Union to grant the country membership candidate status. A dream long held by Georgians, when Ukraine and Moldova were granted the same in June 2022. The move came as geopolitical confrontation and rivalry became even more intense following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February the same year. With membership perspective offered to both and also Georgia, Tbilisi was instead passed over and given two deadlines to make progress on key issues. By the time of the final deadline in November, it had only done so on three of twelve key areas of concern.
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Nonetheless, following years of political polarisation with the opposition claiming the government was not serious in its EU aspirations, last week Georgia was finally granted its long-anticipated membership candidate status while Ukraine and Moldova were offered the opportunity to enter negotiations on actual EU membership. Though some analysts believe the decision for all three was premature, with this new geopolitical rivalry now an every day reality in the Black Sea Region, they nonetheless believe it to be a highly symbolic and important move. The next steps, however, could prove the most difficult and take years or even decades.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili first addressed the crowd on Friday. “This victory is yours – belonging to our indomitable, unbroken, proud, and freedom-loving Georgian people”, he said. “The Government and the people, hand in hand, rightfully earned the status. This victory is well-deserved. [The Government] dedicated our efforts and fought on behalf of the Georgian people, for our country and its citizens, and together we achieved this triumph”, Garibashvili said.
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In what was an event celebrating both the European Union decision and the Georgian government, another senior figure was the ruling Georgian Dream’s Irakli Kobakhidze. In August he promised that the country would fully join the European Union by 2030. Though 9 out of 12 outstanding issues remain before the country can enter into accession talks, the government says it has met 130 legislative requirements out of 200 necessary.
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Another senior Georgian Dream official, Tbilisi Mayor Kaka Kaladze, also celebrated the decision. “With this historic decision, our European partners have told us that Georgia is a part of Europe that deserves a worthy place in the big European family”, he said. “Georgia made a historic choice centuries ago, and today, we have a result of the joint efforts of our ancestors, the Georgian population, and the Government”.
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Despite the jubilation and while welcoming the move, EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński hinted that there is more to do. “Today's decision is an appreciation of the efforts made by each and every one of you”, he said. “It is definitely a big step forward, but the final goal is the EU membership. Therefore, now is the time for political leaders to fulfill the will of the people and implement reforms quickly”.
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Whether that will now occur – and how quickly – is now of increasing importance despite claims from the opposition that the country is backsliding in certain areas pertaining to human rights, the media, and the judiciary. Political polarisation has also increased between the opposition and the government. Even the country’s president Salome Zourabichvili, now estranged from the ruling Georgian Dream party, was not invited on stage to participate in the 15 December celebration. 
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Nonetheless, undaunted, Zourabichvili was present for the event albeit on the main Rustaveli Avenue leading to Freedom Square, where she walked through crowds with bodyguards and some media. Many pedestrians, however managed to break through to pose with the president for selfies. Though Zourabichvili has become an outspoken critic of the government, especially over the EU, she also welcomes the decision but says it was a result of the population’s aspirations and not one political party.