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Hungary and Slovakia are blocking EU sanctions plans over violence against pro-European demonstrators in Georgia.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó justified the move after an EU meeting in Brussels with the EU's alleged siding with the protesters. Georgia was only targeted because a patriotic and conservative party won the recent elections instead of liberal forces, he claimed.
Previously on the table was a proposal to impose EU entry bans on several people responsible for police violence and to order the freezing of assets that may exist in the EU. He has now failed for the time being. However, the plan to remove the right to visa-free entry into the EU for Georgians with diplomatic or service passports will continue to be pursued until further notice.
The EU Commission should now make a proposal for a visa regime
According to Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas, the EU Commission will present an official proposal on the subject by the end of the year. Acceptance would only require a majority vote and not a unanimous decision, as is the case with sanctions.
In general, a large majority of authorities in the EU are of the opinion that the Georgian authorities have recently used unlawful force and arbitrary arrests against demonstrators and opposition leaders. The reason for their ongoing protests is evidence of possible irregularities in the recent parliamentary elections and the announcement by the ruling Georgian Dream party that it wants to put the EU accession process on hold until 2028. Critics fear that this also has to do with Russian influence.
Austria's Foreign Minister calls for dialogue
The Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg advocated on Monday evening not to burn all bridges for this very reason. “I thought it was a geostrategic mistake to push this country back now,” he told reporters. You have to stay in dialogue. A majority in Georgia wants to continue to exist in the EU.
Schallenberg also made it clear that Austria is unlikely to follow the example of Lithuania and Estonia. The two EU states recently imposed national sanctions against Georgian Prime Minister Iraqi Kobachidze and other leading politicians.
