EU to discuss new measures against Georgia in January, Kallas says

EU foreign ministers will hold a deep-dive discussion in January on possible new measures against Georgia, according to the bloc's foreign policy chief. The planned review comes as the European Commission has published its annual progress reports on candidate countries, including a sharply critical assessment of Georgia. The report points to further democratic backsliding, new restrictions on civic space and a deterioration in fundamental rights.

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Kaja Kallas said the Georgian government was on a collision course with the European Union over democratic backsliding. She said the steps taken by the authorities were not moving in the right direction. Asked whether she would propose new sanctions, she said it was too early to say because the January discussion is intended to reconcile different views among member states.

Kallas said the aim was to shape a response that clearly supports the Georgian people and their aspirations to join the European Union, while also sending a clear message to the government that the bloc does not support such policies. The issue is politically sensitive because sanctions require unanimity among member states, while other measures can be adopted more easily. The EU has already suspended visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic passports, a restriction that took effect in March 2026 for one year.

The planned January review matters because it could determine whether the European Union moves from criticism to additional pressure on Tbilisi. Georgia has been under growing scrutiny since a Commission report in 2024 found serious democratic backsliding across areas including the judiciary and media freedom. In November 2024, the Georgian authorities said they would not seek to open accession negotiations before the end of 2028, deepening concern in Brussels about the country's European path.

The current debate also reflects earlier failed efforts to impose sanctions. In 2024, the EU's diplomatic service proposed measures against officials accused of violently repressing peaceful protests, but those plans were blocked by Hungary and Slovakia at the time. Since then, the political landscape in Budapest has changed, and the new Hungarian government has taken a different position on sanctions against Russia.

That shift may affect how member states approach the Georgia file, although no decision has yet been announced. What happens next will depend on the January meeting and whether the Commission brings forward any legal steps before the visa restriction expires. The current measure can be extended by up to two more years, but the Commission would need to adopt a secondary legal act by 6 January 2027 at the latest.

It remains unclear whether the EU will settle on sanctions, another form of pressure, or a more limited response focused on signalling support for Georgian civil society and the country's EU aspirations.

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