German Ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, has directly blamed the ruling Georgian Dream party for stalling the country’s European integration, stating that the government has strayed from the path granted to it by the European Union.
“The EU gave Georgia a gift by granting it candidate status, but Ivanishvili’s government has deviated from this path,” Fischer stated, referring to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman and key figure behind the ruling party.
“Georgia has had candidate status since 2023. The European Union has given your country this status. This is the biggest offer and gift that the European Union can make, an offer to join our union. Since June last year, the process has stalled, Georgia has deviated from its path. So, you have status, but nothing is moving forward in this process. Of course, the government is responsible for this, it cannot be otherwise,” says the ambassador.
Germany has imposed sanctions on senior officials of the Georgian Dream.
The diplomatic mission says Germany has blacklisted officials responsible for the violent crackdown on civilians, although specific names have not yet been released. Starting today, the sanctioned individuals will be banned from entering German territory.
Related story: German government imposes new visa sanctions on Georgian officials