Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Tuesday said, the EU accession process is “a national endeavour, led by the government, but in which everybody has to participate: the whole society – which has shown an overwhelming engagement with that – and all the political spectrum.”

“When I am talking about “trying to avoid polarisation”, I am talking to all poles – polarisation is a multiplicity of poles. I am talking to the government, who has the main responsibility, but [also] to the whole political spectrum. I think that everybody has to understand that this is an inclusive process in which everybody has to participate,” he went on.

Asked about the steps the Georgian government and opposition are taking forward the polarisation, Borrell said, “this is an inclusive process, and we call [on] all political parties to engage in this process in good faith and in a cooperative manner.”

“One can have different approaches and certainly polarisation, as Commissioner Várhelyi has said, is not an exclusivity of Georgia. Polarisation is part of the political life, but as everything in life has to be in the right measure,” he continued.

Borrell believes “too much polarisation brings instability and jeopardises the progress. Too little polarisation means that the political life is not exactly a democratic one.”

“So, we need a certain polarisation in order to show different approaches and different points of view – that is right, that is democracy – but this polarisation has not to reach a level which jeopardises the process and puts in danger the fulfilment of the objectives. I am not going to judge the internal political life of Georgia. But I have to call [on] all political parties to understand that this is a collective endeavour and [that] this is a historical moment that offers an opportunity,” Borrell stated.