TBILISI, September 15 – Two weeks after a deadline expired, Georgia is still waiting for answers from Brussels on whether its citizens will keep the right to travel visa-free to the European Union’s Schengen Area. Now, the European Commission’s silence is beginning to get on the nerves of officials, analysts, and the general public in … Read more
TBILISI, August 29 – Georgia’s opposition the United National Movement (UNM) party is looking to Moldova for lessons on how to reclaim political power and reset the country’s path toward Europe. This week in Chisinau, UNM chair Tina Bokuchava met with Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi, sampling advice on how to … Read more
TBILISI, August 25 – In Georgia’s capital, activists marked Ukraine’s Independence Day by marching through Tbilisi’s central Rustaveli Avenue with a giant Ukrainian flag. The event began at the statue of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko before participants moved toward parliament, carrying both Georgian and Ukrainian flags. The march was a show of solidarity between the … Read more
TBILISI, August 24 – Georgia’s ruling party says it does not expect the European Union to suspend the country’s visa-free travel, but admits September could bring announcements from Brussels that stir public anger. The European Commission has set August 31 as a deadline for Georgia to comply with eight reform demands, ranging from judicial independence … Read more
TBILISI, August 15 – A pro-government movement in Georgia has urged the ruling Georgian Dream party to stage a referendum on EU membership alongside the 4 October local elections. The call, from United Neutral Georgia, frames the vote as a way for citizens to weigh in on one of the country’s most consequential foreign policy … Read more
TBILISI, August 8 – Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze Friday slammed what he calls Europe’s “destructive ideology” around gender and identity, defending his government’s recently introduced law on family values and the protection of minors. Speaking to reporters, Kobakhidze described Europe’s current direction as a “complete catastrophe” and said Georgia must shield itself from trends that, … Read more
TBILISI, August 6 – Retracting an earlier demand, Sweden’s Jessica Rosencrantz said while EU treaties guarantee full legal protection for all minorities, including LGBT people, candidate countries such as Georgia are not required to legalize gay marriage in their national laws. Rosencrantz, who is minister for EU affairs, corrected remarks by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf … Read more
TBILISI, July 30 – Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) has published a list of individuals it claims have been sanctioned by nine Western countries in recent years. The group states that over 230 people affiliated with Georgian Dream (GD), including judges, prosecutors, members of parliament, government ministers, and security officials, have been subjected to visa … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A leading opposition figure has welcomed Lithuania’s decision to impose visa bans on ten additional Georgian officials, calling it a step toward isolating the country’s ruling elite from the “civilized world.” Lithuania’s diplomatic move brings the total number of Georgian citizens facing Lithuanian entry restrictions to 112. Grigol Gegelia the opposition party Lelo – … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Lithuania has imposed visa sanctions on ten more Georgian citizens, effectively barring them from entering the country. This brings the total number of Georgian nationals facing such restrictions to 112, according to a searchable database maintained by Lithuania’s Migration Department. The individuals newly added to the list include judges, prosecutors, parliament members, and government … Read more