EU Ambassador: majority of member states oppose suspending Georgia's visa-free travel

The European Union’s Ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, on Thursday said that most EU member states are against suspending visa-free travel for Georgian citizens, despite recent remarks by Poland’s Prime Minister calling for such a move.

Speaking at a conference hosted by the  Security, Policy  and Nationalism Research Center at the University of Georgia, Herczynski said that while discussions about the EU’s response to the political situation in Georgia have been ongoing for months, the Polish Prime Minister’s statement represented only "another opinion" in a broader debate.

"At this stage, we have decided to suspend visa-free travel only for holders of diplomatic and service passports," the ambassador said. "We do not want ordinary people to pay the price for the decisions, actions, and legislation adopted by the Georgian government."

His comments followed a declaration by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on 11 June that Warsaw was working with other EU states to advocate for the abolition of visa-free travel for Georgians. The proposal comes amid growing concern in Brussels over democratic backsliding and controversial legislative changes in Georgia.

Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili criticised the Polish leader’s comments, suggesting that Tusk was using Georgians for political leverage in Poland's domestic arena.

"Prime Minister Tusk needed a few more votes in the Polish Parliament, and there was an attempt to use the Georgian people for political purposes," Papuashvili told reporters. "Claims about Georgians causing problems in Poland are baseless - just look at the migration statistics."

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also weighed in, accusing the Polish leader and some EU actors of engaging in “blackmail” to influence internal affairs in Georgia.

"This is blackmail aimed at steering Georgia in a different direction," Kobakhidze said. "Such threats only damage the EU’s image among the Georgian public."

Tensions between Georgia and the European Union have intensified in recent years, particularly following the Georgian government's adoption of controversial laws and the government’s move late last year to delay the country’s EU integration until 2028.