“The democratic backsliding in Georgia is worrying us. We are calling on the government and all institutions to come back to the European way,” said Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, answering the question of EuroScope on the means available in the hands of the European Commission, which could force the Georgian Dream party to return to the European integration path.

“I am full of admiration for the Georgian people who are going into the streets and fighting for the European perspective. The European Commission and I personally will support the civil society and organisations in Georgia, and some of them outside. This will be an important part. The second important part will be the backsliding of the democratic process in Georgia, which really worries us. We are calling on the government and all institutions to come back to the European way. This is what the people of Georgia demanded and and you should ensure this,” she said.

According to Marta Koss, consideration could go in three directions, though it was up to the European Council to decide what to do.

“This could be, though I don’t want to discuss it, to take away the candidate status. I think the people of Georgia deserve the country to have the candidate status. Then we have a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement. Some of the provisions could be cancelled because of what is happening in Georgia, and the third part could be the cancellation of visa liberalisation, which I would not love to do for the whole population, because they deserve to have a free visa system, but what we could do more on personalities and take away this freedom,” she said.

Marta Koss remarked that the European Union stopped negotiations, but “as soon as the government shows readiness to come back to the European way, then we can talk.”