Georgia

Georgia is a nation of the Caucasus, at the eastern edge of Europe, with around 3.7 million inhabitants (2024) and a population whose attachment to the European project is written into its constitution. It was granted candidate status in December 2023, carrying the hopes of a society that has repeatedly taken to the streets to defend them.

After the so-called “foreign influence” law of 2024 and a broader authoritarian turn, the EU has found Georgia sharply backsliding on the rule of law and fundamental rights, and in November 2024 the government itself suspended the European path until 2028. The accession process is de facto frozen: Georgia remains a candidate only on paper. Under constant pressure from its powerful northern neighbour, it has become a frontline in the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.

Georgia speaks to the very core of the European Democrats' purpose: standing with the democrats, the protesters and the free voices who keep the European dream alive, even when their own governments turn away from it. Their fight is Europe's fight.