The enlargement report should be seen as a wake-up call for the Georgian authorities, EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski said when asked whether Georgia could lose its candidate status.

“EU enlargement is based on voluntary applications from countries that want to join. After that, the EU must make a decision on the application. As the EU, we have already made a decision. In December 2023, on one of the happiest days of my professional career, Georgia was granted candidate status. What has been happening since that moment, over the past two years, is a serious setback in terms of the fundamental principles necessary for EU membership. The enlargement report is absolutely clear. There is a backsliding in terms of democracy and human rights, as well as in terms of the principles on which the EU itself is founded,” Herczynski said.

According to him, “this enlargement report should be a wake-up call for the Georgian authorities.”

“If you are serious about joining the EU, then you need to reverse course. You need to get back on track for EU membership. This is clearly stated in the Georgian Constitution and it represents the will of the majority of the Georgian population. We are here, we are not going anywhere, we are waiting for you, we have made our choice, the door is open, but Georgia, with its government, must walk through this door. I hope this will happen. This very harsh, devastating report should be a wake-up call. Please get back on track for European integration,” the Ambassador said.