EU foreign ministers will hold a “deep dive” in January on new measures against Georgia, Kallas said, as the European Commission's annual report flags deepening backsliding in democratic standards.
EU foreign ministers will hold a “deep dive” in January on new measures against Georgia, aimed at stopping Tbilisi from further democratic backsliding, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday.
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The remarks come as the European Commission published its annual progress reports on candidate countries. For Georgia, they point to further democratic backsliding, with new restrictions on civic space and a deterioration of fundamental rights.
“The Georgian government right now is on a collision course with the European Union regarding the democratic backsliding. That’s very, very clear. The steps that have been taken are not going in the right direction now,” Kallas said at the press conference presenting the reports.
Asked by Euronews whether she would propose new sanctions on the Georgian government, Kallas said it was too early to tell, as the January discussion is meant to reconcile different views.
“For us it is most important how we make the response so that we clearly indicate that we are supporting the Georgian people and their aspirations of being part of the European Union, but at the same time giving clear messages to the government that we are not supporting these kinds of policies,” the EU foreign policy chief said.
In 2024, the EU’s diplomatic service proposed sanctioning officials responsible for violently repressing peaceful protests, but Hungary and Slovakia blocked the measures. Since then, Viktor Orbán has been ousted from power in Budapest, and the new Hungarian government has significantly shifted its position on sanctions against Russia.
Brussels did, however, suspend visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic passports, which required only a qualified majority, unlike sanctions, which need unanimity.
The restriction took effect in March 2026 for one year. It can be extended by up to two more years, but the Commission would need to adopt a secondary legal act by 6 January 2027 at the latest.
In November 2024, Tbilisi unilaterally announced it would not seek to open accession negotiations before the end of 2028, after a Commission report found serious democratic backsliding, from the judiciary to media freedom.
At the Euronews EU Enlargement Summit on Tuesday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said he was “very committed” to the country’s EU accession path but offered no plan to defrost relations with Brussels.
“At the moment, everything is on the table,” Kallas said.