The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine since February 2022 has also revived the collective trauma of Russian aggression from 2008 in Georgian society. While Georgian society clearly shows solidarity with Ukraine, the Georgian government is reluctant to condemn Russia. Unlike Ukraine and Moldova, Georgia has not yet been given the green light to begin accession negotiations.
The abolition of the gender quota in parliament and a planned constitutional amendment that would ban LGBTQIA+-related gatherings, same-sex marriages and gender reassignment are causing irritation. This contradicts the EU Commission's 9th reform priority to improve the protection of human rights and freedom of assembly and expression. The Georgian ruling party also recently reintroduced and passed the "Law on Foreign Agents", despite the massive protests by the Georgian population and criticism from EU officials. In the election year 2024, Georgia is also facing further growing polarisation in domestic politics, which could become a stumbling block on the path to EU membership.
Against this backdrop, the GEO4EU project aims to support Georgia's democratic transformation process and non-partisan social dialogue through civil society support for European reform measures at local level and to contribute to the depolarisation of society. At the same time, a training series on EU integration processes supports capacity building for civil society actors. Videos, policy memos and radio programmes will also be used to raise awareness and refute disinformation campaigns about the EU. In addition, civil society exchange between Georgia and Germany on issues of EU communication and countering disinformation is at the centre of the project, as well as exchange with countries of the Eastern Partnership.
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