Georgia’s road ahead: Time for the EU to show some tough love. EPC Commentary April 2021.

Paul, Amanda and Maisuradze, Iana (2021) Georgia’s road ahead: Time for the EU to show some tough love. EPC Commentary April 2021. [Policy Paper]

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Abstract

While an EU-brokered deal ended Georgia’s political crisis, the country’s political polarisation risks impeding its full implementation. It is high time to end the squabbling, put the country first and deliver what Georgian citizens deserve. The EU-brokered deal reached on 19 April ended Georgia’s months-long domestic political standoff. Opposition party members agreed to take their mandated seats in the parliament, which now has a constitutional majority to vote on an amnesty bill and address other political issues. At a time when the EU is short on positive foreign policy stories, this marks an important success. But signing the deal was the easy part. With the parties’ antagonistic approach towards each other and a political culture not particularly open to compromise, implementing the deal may be more difficult. The EU must keep maximum pressure on Georgia’s political elites if the country is not to fall back into turmoil.

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