EU Report Labels Georgia a 'Nominal' Candidate as Tbilisi Pledges to Press On

Overview

• The European Commission on Tuesday published a progress report that classifies Georgia as a nominal candidate due to what it calls backsliding from democracy.
• Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said Georgia will continue preparing for European Union membership despite what he described as Brussels' attitude.
• Papuashvili argued that Georgia seeks integration with an EU focused on restoring European values rather than the current Brussels bureaucracy.
• He accused EU institutions of trying to subject Georgia's government to an ideological and political diktat.
• He also claimed radical opposition groups, some allegedly supported by Brussels, attempted to storm the presidential palace a month ago and said the EU showed no concern.