European Commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper condemned the actions of Georgian authorities against the EU ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczyński. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused Herczyński of “interfering in internal politics” and supporting the opposition.
Hipper stated that Herczyński had the EU’s full support, noting a concerning trend of deteriorating democracy in Georgia. She highlighted the ongoing intimidation of peaceful protesters and journalists, and the EU’s response includes freezing financial support to the Georgian government, redirecting funds to NGOs, and downgrading diplomatic contacts.
On 24 February, EU Foreign Affairs Ministers discussed democracy’s deterioration in Giorgia. After the meeting, HRVP Kaja Kallas posted on X, “It is clear that steps Georgia is taking are not going in direction of the EU. We expect certain values, certain steps to be taken by candidate countries like Georgia, & Georgia is definitely not taking the right steps.”
Kobakhidze criticised Herczyński for allegedly backing the opposition during the last elections and for not condemning recent violent protests following the suspension of EU accession talks until 2028. The situation has led to widespread anti-government protests since late November 2024, with claims of rigged parliamentary elections. Mikheil Kavelashvili was sworn in as president in December but lacks recognition from the opposition and many international partners.
