FM Botchorishvili accuses EU of using integration process against Georgia

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili has responded to recent critical comments by EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, accusing the European Union of weaponizing Georgia’s EU integration path for political leverage.

“We once again see from the EU ambassador’s statement that efforts are being made to use EU integration and relations with the EU as a tool against Georgia,” Botchorishvili told journalists in Luxembourg on May 14.

Her remarks came shortly after Ambassador Herczyński warned that “everything remains on the table” in Brussels regarding Georgia’s EU path — including the visa-free regime. In his statement, the ambassador raised serious concerns over Georgia’s democratic trajectory and questioned whether the country still aspires to EU membership.

“What we’ve seen over the past year raises serious questions about whether Georgia is still a democratic country and whether it truly wants to join the European Union,” said Herczyński, speaking at a conference titled "Understanding the Russian Threat: Lessons from Poland, Ukraine, and Georgia".

He added that Brussels is currently reassessing whether Georgia still deserves its privileged relationship with the EU.

In response, Botchorishvili dismissed the EU’s concerns as “false narratives” built on speculation. “All these narratives and speculations they generate and recycle against Georgia will ultimately prove to be baseless and meaningless,” she stated.

Tensions between the Georgian government and EU representatives have escalated over the past year, especially following the ruling Georgian Dream party's controversial decision to pause EU integration process until 2028.

The European Council’s October 2024 summit conclusions explicitly warned that Georgia’s current political course jeopardizes its European future and may effectively halt its accession process.

Earlier, on Europe Day, May 9, Ambassador Herczyński issued one of his starkest warnings yet, stating that Georgia might “lose its chance to join the EU for a long time” due to the government's lack of visible progress and political will toward integration.