Zurabishvili Accuses GD of Manipulating Issue of Visa-Free Travel with EU
President Salome Zurabishvili denounced recent statements by Georgian Dream officials juxtaposing the visa-free travel to the European Union with Georgia’s sovereignty, and called their statements a “campaign” aimed at demoralizing society. Georgian Dream officials are preemptively pushing the “blackmail” narrative around Brussels’ possible suspension of visa-free travel, which claims Georgians face a false dilemma between the visa-free regime and the country’s sovereignty.
She stressed that the narrative is a “direct continuation” of developments that began on Nov. 28, 2024, referencing Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement to halt EU integration efforts until 2028. According to Zurabishvili, the goal behind this rhetoric is to advance Georgian Dream’s agenda of isolating Georgia from Europe by fueling fears around the visa-free regime.
“This campaign does not come from Brussels or any other European capital—it comes from Tbilisi, from this regime, whose goal is precisely to stop visa liberalization,” she said during an April 23 briefing, urging Georgians not to fall into the trap of such propaganda and calling on the public to assess who is truly pushing the country away from Europe.
She accused the ruling party of mimicking Russian-style policymaking to prepare the public for international isolation. “It is also an attempt to shift the blame onto Europe, to say they are punishing us,” she added. Zurabishvili placed responsibility squarely on Bidzina Ivanishvili, GD’s honorary chair, and what she called “the clan that rules this country according to the Russian order.”
Her remarks come as GD officials started making claims in recent days that EU is trying to “blackmail Georgia” with the visa-free regime and that Georgians should rather be good patriots than have visa free regime with the bloc. On April 18, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said parts of the Brussels bureaucracy were using the visa-free regime as a “tool of political pressure and blackmail.” That narrative was echoed by GD Deputy Speaker Nino Tsilosani and MP Sozar Subari, who said Georgia’s sovereignty outweighs visa-free travel.
On April 23, two other GD MPs Guram Macharashvili and Archil Gorduladze continued to address the issue, with Macharashvili lamenting that the EU “initially used the candidate status for bargaining and manipulation… now it is visa liberalization that’s becoming a means of manipulation.” Gorduladze emphasized that the visa-free regime was achieved under Georgian Dream rule and insisted that “free movement cannot be used to blackmail the Georgian people.”
Georgians have enjoyed visa-free travel to the European Union since 2017, widely regarded as one of the most tangible achievements of the country’s path toward European integration. However, the EU has warned that suspension of the visa-free regime remains an option amid growing concerns over democratic backsliding and repression under the Georgian Dream government. In September 2024, before the violent suppression of protests and the government’s sharp U-turn on EU integration, the European Commission stated that “all options are on the table” should Georgian Dream continue on an authoritarian path – “including the potential temporary suspension of the visa liberalization scheme.”
The Union is also planning to modify its visa suspension mechanism later this year, thus making the possibility of suspension seem 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. The changes are expected to be implemented in the fall of this year.
Also Read:
- 18/04/2025 – GD Pushes “Blackmail” Narrative on Possible Suspension by EU of Visa-Free Regime
- 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
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