Paweł Herczyński: The government’s stated desire to join the European Union remains in contradiction with the hostile, anti-European, and manipulative narratives - as well as the conspiracy theories - that they frequently express
Georgia’s ruling party continues to undermine the country’s path toward the European Union by attacking democratic principles, the rule of law, and fundamental values, while also facilitating the further consolidation of state power. The government’s declared intention to join the EU stands in stark contrast to the hostile, anti-European, and manipulative narratives—along with conspiracy theories—that they often propagate, which serve to weaken European values. This statement was made by Paweł Herczyński, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, following the publication of the 2026 EU Enlargement Report.
According to the Ambassador, the report shows that some candidate countries are moving increasingly closer to full membership, which highlights the significance of the policies being implemented. The Ambassador reiterated that Georgia is a candidate country only on paper.
"The enlargement package presented today paints a very clear picture: enlargement is moving forward. As just noted in Brussels by the EU High Representative and Vice-President, Kaja Kallas, and European Commissioner Kos, the enlargement process has yielded more results this year than at any other stage in the past 25 years. This is an achievement not only of the candidate countries and the European Commission, but also of our member states. I am pleased that several colleagues representing these member states are here with us to share in this moment.
Progress toward EU accession continues to be based on objective criteria and the individual achievements of each country. In particular, core values determine the pace of negotiations. The 2026 enlargement package represents another significant milestone and step in this direction. The progress we have witnessed this year also highlights the significant differences that exist among our candidate countries. While some are making substantial strides toward EU membership, the progress of others is quite slow. In some cases, unfortunately, we even see further regression. These disparities illustrate why political decisions—and political will—are so important. The enlargement package concerns the future of the European Union, as well as Georgia’s place within that future. The ongoing backsliding regarding fundamental values—which we have observed here over the past year—confirms that Georgia, regrettably, remains an EU candidate in name only. It continues to forgo the advantages that candidate status and the pre-accession negotiation phase offer. Georgia’s ruling party persists in undermining the country’s path toward the European Union by attacking democratic principles, the rule of law, and fundamental values, while further facilitating the capture of state power. Furthermore, the civic space has weakened significantly, a consequence of increasingly repressive legislation. The government’s stated ambition to join the European Union stands in stark contradiction to the hostile, anti-European, and manipulative narratives frequently expressed by its representatives and in conspiracy theories that undermine European values, and the fact that they manage to implement key reforms related to the European Union,” stated Herczyński.
