Polish PM Tusk Says His Government Pushes EU to Suspend or Limit Georgia’s Visa-Free Travel
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his government is working to garner support within the European Union for suspending or restricting visa-free travel for Georgia, citing democratic backsliding and migration concerns.
“I have already spoken out, intervened, and we are now working to build the necessary majority to limit or suspend visa-free travel for Georgia, along with other countries,” Tusk said. “Yes, this is my intention while being fully aware that one-third of Georgians genuinely wish to share our values. But we know where the real problem lies,” he added.
Tusk made the comments during the Parliament hearing that was to pass the confidence vote after the candidate from Tusk’s opponent, PiS, was elected president.
“This is not just about Georgia,” Tusk noted while addressing broader migration concerns. “I apologize to those Georgians who may feel offended, but more broadly, I strongly support restricting visa-free travel from countries, like Georgia, that no longer uphold basic democratic standards and from which migration presents a direct threat to legal and public order in our country and in Europe,” he said.
Tusk also said that 50 Georgian citizens were recently deported from Poland for “committing various crimes.”
The EU is considering a range of measures in response to the Georgian Dream government’s anti-democratic and anti-European shift. Georgia has enjoyed visa-free travel to the EU since 2017.
Tbilisi has accused Brussels of using the visa-free issue as what it claims to be a tool of “pressure” and “blackmail” against Georgian Dream.
Earlier this year, the EU suspended visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic passport holders.
In a broader context, the EU is preparing to simplify the visa-free suspension mechanism later this year. Under the proposed changes, the bloc could trigger a suspension in cases of serious human rights violations and abuses or grave breaches of international law.
Unlike most EU decisions, suspending visa-free travel does not require unanimous agreement among all 27 member states.
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