The European Union has sharply expressed its concern regarding the recent events in Georgia, warning the country about the potential suspension of the European integration process due to the adoption of the controversial “Foreign Agents Law
" This decision has sparked broad resonance within European circles and has cast doubt on Georgia’s further path toward accession to the European Union. The European Union strongly condemned the Georgian parliament’s adoption of a new law, which is openly criticized as a tool of political pressure and restrictions on freedom of speech. The statement regarding this issue was issued by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kyriakos (Kaja) Kaljulaid, as well as European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi. They described the law as "another manifestation of democratic backsliding" that has begun in the country, adding that since last year, a series of other restrictive legislation, including laws on broadcasting and grant limitations, have been adopted. According to them, this "Foreign Agents Law" is not only a politically motivated act — it has essentially become a serious threat to democratic foundations in Georgia and the future of its citizens in an open society. It was specifically noted that with the adoption of this law, the country demonstrates the beginning of a full democratic rollback — a process that calls into question Georgia’s European trajectory. The conclusions of the European Council in June and October 2024 state that the situation in the country has become an obstacle to its integration into the European Union, and specifically — the accession process has effectively stalled. Calling on the Georgian authorities to be accountable, EU officials urged them to respect the aspirations of the Georgian people for a European future and emphasized the need to release political prisoners — journalists, activists, and opposition leaders who have been unlawfully detained in recent months. They underlined that the European Union is ready to consider resuming the integration process if Georgia’s government takes concrete and convincing steps to halt the democratic backslide and steer the country back onto the path of reforms. At the same time, the responsibility for this situation fully lies with the Georgian leadership. The background to this tense situation was the adoption on May 31 of the "Foreign Agents Law" in Georgia, which the authorities compare to the American FARA law. The document provides for strict control over the activities of organizations receiving foreign funding and engaged in political activities, which has sparked widespread discussions globally about possible consequences for civil society freedom and media independence. The reaction from the international community was swift, and now the situation in Georgia has become a key test of its commitment to European values and democratic standards. This situation is increasingly causing concern within European institutions, as further steps by the Tbilisi authorities could determine their prospects for closer cooperation with the EU or lead to a significant drop in trust. In any case, any future move of Georgia toward EU membership now depends on the government’s ability to respect democratic values and break the trend toward authoritarian methods of governance.