The Georgian Dream regime halted European integration on Ivanishvili’s instructions and through Kobakhidze’s treacherous statements, - Tamar Kekenedze, a member of the political council of “Gakharia for Georgia,” said, responding to reports that European leaders will gather at the European Council in October to discuss enlargement, as well as European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos’s statement, in which she did not name Georgia among the countries aspiring to join the EU.

According to Tamar Kekenedze, as long as “Georgian Dream” remains in power, Georgia’s prospects for integration into the European Union are nonexistent.

“I would have been very surprised to see Georgia in this document. Unfortunately, we have been living in this reality for the past two years. Two years ago, ‘Georgian Dream’ and Irakli Kobakhidze, on Bidzina Ivanishvili’s instructions, halted Georgia’s European integration. They clearly stated that Georgia’s integration into the European Union was on hold. Therefore, it is ridiculous to hear these complaints and this feigned concern now about why we are not attending events related to enlargement and so on.

“Yesterday, Marta Kos presented an initiative aimed at supporting countries that have the desire and aspiration to become EU members and helping them prepare for the next wave of enlargement. Since restoring independence, the citizens of Georgia have made it very clear that our future lies in the European Union and that our future is Europe. Generations have done everything possible to achieve this future, but two years ago in Georgia, the ‘Georgian Dream’ regime, on Ivanishvili’s instructions and through Kobakhidze’s treacherous statements, halted this integration.

“Therefore, as long as ‘Georgian Dream’ remains in power in this country, Georgia’s integration into the European Union has no future. If we want to give Georgia a chance to have a European future, we must do everything possible to change the ‘Georgian Dream’ regime together at the next election,” Tamar Kekenedze said.

For reference, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that European leaders will gather at the European Council in October to discuss enlargement. Therefore, she said, in September, in preparation for the European leaders’ discussion, the Commission will present ideas on how the EU should prepare for a situation in which candidate countries are approaching the completion of accession negotiations.

Kos stressed that four issues should be discussed in order to reach consensus at the highest level on admitting new member states.

“First, we need to understand what impact new members could have and, where that impact could be detrimental to our member states, we need to act to protect their interests. Second, we need to consider the internal reforms required for a larger Union to maintain its ability to act and remain flexible enough to adapt quickly in times of crisis. Third, every new member must strengthen Europe - politically, economically and in terms of our security. This starts with the rule of law. We need a proven track record of reforms and fulfillment of accession commitments, but we must go one step further. We must ensure that we do not let Trojan horses in - not today, nor 10 or 20 years from now.

“Fourth, EU enlargement must develop in consideration of today’s realities. Preparing for accession takes time. But time is precisely what our adversaries are no longer giving our candidates. They are not patiently waiting for a 20-year accession process to be completed. They are investing. They are exerting political pressure. They are creating dependencies. They are exploiting uncertainty. Therefore, in the enlargement process, we must abandon the ‘all or nothing’ logic. We need a more structured approach and must seek more ambitious pathways toward gradual integration.

“We want to bring the benefits of our Union to candidate countries before accession, so that they can better withstand external pressure. These benefits should focus on strategic sectors that serve both current and future members. However, the principle remains unchanged: benefits come in accordance with commitments and reforms,” Kos said.

According to her, 2026 will be a record year in terms of progress on EU enlargement.

“Montenegro has closed more than half of the negotiating chapters, and member states have begun preparing the accession treaty. Albania has also recently cleared a crucial interim rule-of-law benchmark and begun closing chapters. Ukraine and Moldova have made significant technical progress across the entire body of EU legislation over the past two years. By the end of this week, Iceland will vote on restarting accession negotiations. It is already part of the single market and could complete accession negotiations within one or two years.

“I would also like other candidate countries to join this leading group. And they can, if they show the same determination, fulfill their commitments and build trust with all our member states. However, in today’s world, this trust is based on much more than adopting European legislation,” Kos said.