GD Pushes “Blackmail” Narrative on Possible Suspension by EU of Visa-Free Regime
Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili slammed the EU, saying that the visa-free issue was being used “by a part of the Brussels bureaucracy” as a “tool of political pressure and blackmail,” adding: “These are methods from a hundred years ago,” while also expressing confidence that the European Union would not suspend the country’s visa-free travel regime.
Papuashvili’s comments came in response to earlier remarks by German Ambassador Peter Fischer, who, in an interview with Business Media Georgia, who described visa-free travel as a “privilege” that should be valued. Fischer noted that “nobody wants to punish” Georgians, but emphasized that the visa-free regime is not an unconditional right.
During an April 17 appearance on the pro-government IMEDI TV channel , Papuashvili blasted what he said was Ambassador’s “arrogant tone” and stated: “Is visa-free travel a divine gift?! We also have visa-free travel for Germans, and what?!”
He added: “Visa-free travel means that Georgian tourists will go to Germany, France, spend money there and invest money in their local economy.” Noting that Georgian GDP growth is 10% while European GDP growth is mere 1% Papuashvili said that if EU “did not allow tourists who spend money in that country, they will not have that either.”
Today, April 18 Papuashvili further reinforced his message asserting through his FB platform that the difference between the GD and the opposition is that the GD won’t accept “blackmail” by visa free issue: “We say that blackmailing the Georgian people with visas is unacceptable to us. The radical opposition says that blackmailing the Georgian people with visas is acceptable to them.”
“Blackmail Narrative” Picked up by Rump Parliament MPs
The message about the “blackmail” and the attempt to juxtapose free travel with sovereignty, has been echoed by other MPs of the rump GD parliament. Nino Tsilosani, the GD parliament vice speaker, wrote on Facebook: “Visa-free travel is really comfortable, and we earned this comfort during the Georgian Dream government… However, if comfort contradicts patriotism, the Georgian people have always remained and will remain patriots of their country.”
Sozar Subari, from the GD offshoot “People’s Power”, said: “I really don’t have such a bad impression of the Georgian people that visa liberalization is more important to them than abandoning the anti-European and anti-Christian policies that the ‘Deep State’ is trying to impose on us.”
Is Suspension a Real Possibility?
Georgians have enjoyed visa-free travel to the EU since 2017, widely seen as one of the most tangible benefits of the country’s path toward European integration.
However, the EU has warned that the suspension of the visa-free regime is on the table due to growing concerns about democratic backsliding and repression under the Georgian Dream government.
In September last year, amid growing concerns over anti-democratic trajectory of Georgia, but before the violent suppression of protests, the repression and EU integration EU-turn, the European Commission said that “all options are on the table” if the ruling Georgian Dream party continues on its authoritarian trajectory, “including the potential temporary suspension of the visa liberalization scheme.”
On February 13 this year, the European Parliament adopted a scathing resolution on Georgia calling on the European Commission and the Council to review Georgia’s visa-free status, with the “possibility of suspension if it is considered that EU standards on democratic governance and freedoms are not being upheld.”
Earlier this month, on April 9, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs expressed alarm over the direction of Georgia’s democratic governance. During the session, MEP Rasa Juknevičienė, the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Georgia, called for “immediate and well-coordinated sanctions” against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the party’s founder, and urged the EU to reconsider both the visa regime and the broader EU-Georgia Association Agreement.
EU to Simplify Suspension of Visa Liberalization
With the EU planning to modify its visa suspension mechanism later this year, the possibility of suspension appears more real. The proposed reforms—first introduced by the European Commission in 2023—aim to make it easier for Brussels to revoke visa-free travel for citizens of any of the 61 countries currently benefiting from the regime, including Georgia.
As the EU seeks to streamline its toolbox for political relations with third countries, the new proposed ground for suspension would be triggered in cases of “serious human rights violations and abuses” or serious breaches of international law and standards, including human rights law and failure to comply with international court decisions and rulings.
The Council of the EU adopted its position last year, and initial consultations between the European Commission, the Council, and the European Parliament began last week. The goal is to finalize and adopt the changes during Poland’s upcoming presidency of the Council this fall.
Unlike other EU decisions, suspending visa-free travel does not require unanimous consent—approval from 15 member states is sufficient.
EU’s Earlier Steps With Regard to Free Travel with Georgia
The EU has already taken targeted measures in response to Georgia’s political developments. On Jan. 27, the Council of the European Union suspended visa-free travel for Georgian officials holding diplomatic and service passports, citing democratic backsliding.
That move followed violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters, opposition politicians and independent media after the Georgian government announced on Nov. 28, 2024, that it would take off the agenda the pursuit of EU membership negotiations until 2028.
The future of visa-free travel for Georgian citizens appears increasingly shaky in the face of what local and international observers and partners see as the consolidation of the authoritarian regime by the Georgian Dream, including the adoption of a series of repressive laws aimed at eliminating civil society, free media and opposition in the country.
Also Read:
- 14/01/2025 – Op-Ed | Names, Not Passports! EU Should Close the Loophole
- 16/12/2024 – Jozwiak: EU to Suspend Visa Liberalization for Georgian Diplomats and Other Officials
- 15/12/2024 – Georgian Opposition Addresses EU, Urging Action
- 10/12/2024 – EU Spokesperson Demands De-escalation, Warns of Consequences
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