Monday, December 8, 2025

Georgia’s PM escalates feud with Brussels, stating there are no protests

TBILISI, November 5 – Georgia’s prime minister took fresh aim at European Union institutions on Wednesday, accusing “European bureaucracy” of double standards and defending Tbilisi’s decision to avoid recent Euronest sessions, the EU’s parliamentary forum for Eastern Partnership states. Speaking to Georgian reporters during a visit to Shanghai, Irakli Kobakhidze said the situation inside EU … Read more

Tbilisi rejects EU criticism as political interference

TBILISI, November 5 – Tbilisi has fired back at Brussels over the European Commission’s latest enlargement report, accusing the EU of political bias, disrespect, and interference in Georgia’s domestic affairs. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said Tuesday that if there is any “backsliding,” it is in Brussels, not in Georgia. In a series of statements responding … Read more

EU declares Georgia’s membership bid ‘frozen’

TBILISI, November 4 – The European Union has declared Georgia’s membership process “practically frozen,” citing what it calls unprecedented democratic backsliding, repression of dissent, and a breakdown in the rule of law. The announcement came Tuesday as Brussels released its 2025 Enlargement Report, marking the sharpest downturn yet in relations between the bloc and the … Read more

Georgia’s new protest laws “abolish” freedom of assembly: Watchdog

TBILISI, November 4 – Tbilisi-based watchdog Transparency International Georgia (TIG) has sharply condemned the ruling Georgian Dream party’s latest amendments to Georgia’s protest laws, calling them “repressive” and a de facto abolition of citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of assembly. The group says the legal changes, adopted over the past two years, amount to a … Read more

Former investment fund chief faces new trial over Mtkvari hydropower project

TBILISI, November 4 – Tbilisi City Court held a preliminary hearing Tuesday in a new criminal case against Giorgi Bachiashvili, the former head of Georgia’s Co-Investment Fund, over alleged mismanagement connected to the Mtkvari hydropower plant project. At the hearing, the court reviewed the admissibility of evidence and is expected to decide whether the case … Read more

Critics warn of “cheap labor” risk as Georgia shortens school education

TBILISI, November 4 – Georgia’s government is launching a new education reform that will allow public schools to switch from a 12-year to an 11-year system, letting students graduate and enter the workforce one year earlier. Those who wish to continue studying abroad or pursue a full 12-year education will still be able to do … Read more

EU to unveil 2025 enlargement report

TBILISI, November 4 – European Union leaders and candidate countries are gathering in Brussels today, Tuesday, November 4, for an “Enlargement Summit” focused on the bloc’s next wave of potential members. The summit coincides with the release of the European Commission’s 2025 enlargement package, which assesses the progress of aspiring member states, including Georgia, Ukraine, … Read more

Long queues at Russian border choke Georgia’s key transit corridor

TBILISI, November 3 – Freight traffic through Georgia’s main transit corridor has fallen sharply this year, with thousands of trucks bypassing the country due to long delays at its northern border crossing with Russia. According to data from Georgia’s Transport Corridor Research Center, the number of trucks passing through Georgia dropped by more than 22,000 … Read more

Georgia bans public employees from holding two paid jobs

TBILISI, November 2 – Starting November 1, a new anti-corruption law in Georgia has come into effect prohibiting public sector employees from holding two or more paid positions at the same time. The ban includes teaching and academic jobs, meaning thousands of educators who previously worked in multiple schools will now have to choose just … Read more

Georgia pulls out of EU-linked parliamentary forum

TBILISI, November 2 – Georgia has withdrawn from the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, a forum connecting the European Parliament with countries in the EU’s Eastern Partnership, after the body adopted a resolution accusing Tbilisi of democratic backsliding and calling the 2024 parliamentary elections fraudulent. The decision marks the latest step in Georgia’s cooling relations with European … Read more