Georgian Dream Submits Report to European Commission, which Brussels Deems "Unfounded"
In a recent development, Georgia's ambassador in Brussels, Vakhtang Makharoblishvili, sent a 55-page report to the European Commission on August 31, 2025. The report, which defends the laws On Transparency of Foreign Influence and On Family Values and the Protection of Minors, has sparked controversy and raised questions.
The report lists "positive results" in several international indices and research rankings. According to the Institute for Economics and Peace's Positive Peace Index, Georgia holds the 38th place, and the European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption and State-Building (ERCAS) ranks Georgia third in the region and fifth among 143 countries worldwide in the Transparency Index. However, the report's authors argue that these laws are aimed at protecting national sovereignty, promoting social cohesion, and increasing institutional transparency.
The contents of the report were considered unsubstantiated by a source from Brussels, who stated that the report did not respond to the questions troubling the Commission. The European Commission is currently considering suspending Georgia's visa-free regime due to "serious backsliding on democracy."
This decision comes after Georgia ranked 42nd out of 120 countries in the Good Governance Index, ahead of EU member states such as Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania. The Georgian Dream government's report to the European Commission includes terms such as "Elite NGOs," "Sincere NGOs," and "Misuse of foreign aid ... to support revolutionary scenarios."
The report's release was met with criticism from Georgian Dream's parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili, who accused Brussels of a "leak" and criticized Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, stating that it had been turned into a propaganda outlet. Georgian Dream prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze also accused the EU of attempting "shameful blackmail" regarding the visa-free regime suspension discussions.
The 2024 Rule of Law Index compiled by the World Justice Project notes Georgia's progress on rule of law reforms. The recommendations included repealing laws restricting freedom of assembly and expression, and amending certain laws to ensure protection of LGBT+ rights. Ambassador Vakhtang Makharoblishvili claimed in his letter to the European Commission that the Georgian government had carried out extra initiatives alongside the Commission's recommendations.
The report's authorship remains unknown, as the search results do not provide information about who wrote the secret government report of Georgia to the European Commission. The Commission issued a set of recommendations for Georgia to meet in order to avoid suspension, with a deadline of 31 August. It remains to be seen how Georgia will respond to these recommendations and whether the visa-free regime will be suspended.
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