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 choices. Critics argue the timing could skew the outcome, since many opposition parties are boycotting the elections, and their largely pro-EU supporters may stay home, potentially tipping the balance toward rejecting membership.
The government maintains it is committed to being ready for EU accession by 2028 and says the integration plan remains on track. Yet some in Georgian Dream signal they would choose “traditional values” over EU membership if forced to decide.
The referendum would be non-binding, Rezonansi reports. How this would square with Georgia’s constitution, which commits the country to seeking EU membership, remains unclear.
