EU Suspends Visa-Free Journey for Georgian Diplomatic and Service Passport Holders

The European Union has permitted a call to droop visa-free journey for holders of Georgian diplomatic and repair passports. The transfer comes as a direct response to the political trajectory of the Georgian Dream authorities, which has confronted rising criticism from Brussels and different European capitals.

The European Council reached the choice in late December 2024, following the implementation of the EU’s up to date Visa Suspension Mechanism. The restrictions are scheduled to be formally enforced beginning in early March 2026.

Despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia throughout the proposal stage, the choice stays binding for all EU member states. Under the brand new mechanism, a scarcity of complete consensus doesn’t stop the implementation of such measures when broader EU pursuits and values are deemed in danger.

Who is affected?

The suspension particularly targets people holding privileged journey paperwork: The president, prime minister, speaker of parliament, members of parliament, cupboard ministers, the catholicos-patriarch, and their respective spouses.

High-ranking officers from ministries and state companies, members of regulation enforcement, the judiciary, the prosecution service, and administrative-technical employees of diplomatic missions.

A “warning shot” to the elite

The message from Brussels is obvious: the restrictions are geared toward decision-makers slightly than most people. This is seen as an try to exert strain on the ruling “Georgian Dream” celebration to reverse insurance policies that the EU claims diverge from democratic requirements.

While the European Commission has not but set a selected date for a complete suspension of visa-free journey for all Georgian residents, it has emphasised that such a step stays on the desk if Tbilisi fails to deal with suggestions and repeal controversial laws.

Tbilisi’s response: “We cannot be blackmailed”

The Georgian authorities stays defiant within the face of those measures. Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that the potential suspension of visa-free journey will not be an “existential issue” for the nation, noting that the federal government prioritizes “peace and stability” over journey privileges.

Member of Parliament Nino Tsilosani confirmed that ruling celebration leaders are already acquiring visas for official visits to EU nations. She dismissed the move as an ineffective instrument for political strain, stating, “They cannot blackmail us with any kind of visas.”

The way forward for Georgia’s European integration now hinges on whether or not the federal government will adjust to EU suggestions, together with the repeal of disputed legal guidelines. Failure to take action could result in the following part of the mechanism: a full suspension of visa-liberalization, which might straight have an effect on all Georgian residents touring with normal biometric passports.