Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze used a high-profile platform in Brussels on Tuesday to insist that his government remains fully committed to joining the European Union, yet he offered no credible roadmap to break the current impasse. Instead, he repeatedly accused the European Commission of political manipulation and refused to revisit the legislation that has brought Tbilisi's EU ambitions to a standstill.
Speaking at the Euronews Enlargement Summit, Kobakhidze defended his government's record and sought to shift blame for the deteriorating relationship onto Brussels. He described the Commission's initial decision to withhold candidate status from Georgia in 2022 as a "great mistake," arguing that his country had made more progress on reforms than other applicants at the time.
"It was extremely unclear because there was no ground for that," he said. "The European Commission publicised its assessment, its scores about Georgia and other countries, and Georgia was doing much better than Moldova or Bosnia. But these countries received candidate status."
Georgia eventually obtained candidate status in December 2023, but relations soured quickly. By mid-2024, the European Council concluded that the government's actions had effectively halted the accession process. In November 2024, Tbilisi announced it would not seek to open formal negotiations before 2028, a unilateral decision taken after the Commission published a report highlighting serious democratic backsliding in areas ranging from judicial independence to media freedom.
When asked why his government had made that choice despite opinion polls showing nearly 80 percent of Georgians support EU membership, Kobakhidze again pointed the finger at Brussels. "If the European Commission decides to open the accession talks for Georgia, we would immediately join. It was not us," he said. "But of course, the European Commission, which decided to suspend the political dialogue with Georgia."
He added: "When somebody wants to change anything in Georgia, they should talk with us. But now the problem is that they don't talk with us. They are not ready for talking with us."
No concessions on contested laws
Pressed for concrete steps to resolve the deadlock, Kobakhidze offered little beyond a willingness to hold a public discussion with the Commission. He maintained that Brussels' assessment of Georgia was false and amounted to political blackmail.
Critically, he ruled out repealing either of the two laws at the heart of the dispute: the legislation on the transparency of foreign influence and a national registry for NGOs. Both have been criticised by the Council of Europe's Venice Commission, which in two separate opinions urged the ruling party to reconsider the measures, citing unclear goals, vague definitions, and disproportionate criminal penalties.
Kobakhidze argued that demanding their repeal infringed on Georgia's sovereignty. "The Parliament of Georgia, with dignity, passed the legislation, which is fully in line with international standards," he said, accusing the Venice Commission of political bias as well. He went further, likening Brussels' demands to the Soviet era, when Georgia was obliged to follow directives from Moscow. "We want to have a different approach with Europe," he said.
Throughout the interview, Kobakhidze accused the Commission of double standards, political interference, and refusing to engage with Tbilisi. Yet he offered no clear route out of the impasse, nor any indication that his government was prepared to address the EU's central concerns.
Asked why Georgia still wanted to join the EU, he replied that he is "optimistic" that the EU will change, not only in its attitude towards Georgia but as a Union as a whole, given the growing geopolitical challenges and economic headwinds it faces. "We have to agree with each other, the European Union and Georgia, that we want to see a democratic rule of law-based, human-rights based, economically strong and sovereign Georgia in the European Union. If they agree on this, everything will go on," he said.
The European Commission's reports have been endorsed by the European Council, representing the 27 leaders whose unanimous agreement is required for a candidate's entry. In a 2025 resolution, EU leaders urged Georgian authorities to end their hostile rhetoric against EU institutions and the EU mission in Tbilisi.
As the standoff continues, other Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries are moving ahead with their own accession processes. Montenegro's insistence on full membership by 2028 stands in contrast to Georgia's frozen path, while Kyiv's EU envoy downplays Hungarian obstruction in Ukraine's talks. The contrast underscores the widening gap between Tbilisi and Brussels, with no obvious bridge in sight.
