EURACTIVE
Georgia poses dilemma for EU
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9:35 AM (2 hours ago)
29/10/24
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Good morning from Tbilisi,
Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets of Tbilisi on Monday evening to protest what they described as a vote “stolen” by the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party.
In an interview with Euractiv, Georgian President Salome Zourabishvili called on the EU not to recognise the result and apply “all pressures” to prevent Georgia from falling into Russia’s influence.
However, the EU needs to navigate its own pressures, as while EU institutions have reacted, an EU-27 statement is yet to be tabled.
On Monday evening, thirteen EU ministers signed a joint statement saying the electoral irregularities “betray” the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations. They also criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s “premature” visit to Georgia, stressing that “he does not speak on behalf of the EU”.
The co-signatories are Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Sweden.
But the missing signatures reflect Europe’s hesitance.
Europe has some options on the table, but Brussels insiders also point to Georgia's lack of geographical proximity as another challenge for the EU.
Waiting for the result of the US elections next week so that the West as a whole can coordinate on concrete action - if election irregularities are proven- is also a possibility.
The EU will need to decide whether to engage in another ‘proxy’ confrontation with Russia or whether Georgia’s situation will simply be labelled as an ‘internal matter’.
EU eyes Georgia amid election fraud allegations
Host Evi Kiorri spoke with Dr Tinatin Akhvlediani, a research fellow in the EU Foreign Policy Unit at CEPS, to analyse the situation in Georgia. Listen here.
Bubbling in Brussels
Click on the picture to read the story | Photo by [GETTY IMAGES/KOIGUO
Beijing has harshly criticised the European Commission's efforts to reach individual deals with carmakers affected by its electric vehicle anti-subsidy probe as tensions ahead of the scheduled confirmation of definitive tariffs on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, leading business groups said that the EU cannot win a subsidy race with the US and China as the bloc currently “lacks the fiscal firepower to outspend its global competitors.”
Urgent Reform Needed for NEAFC
Many Northeast Atlantic fisheries are overfished and poorly governed. The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission's contracting parties must embrace transparency and accountability, allowing for greater observer participation to protect vital fish stocks and ensure sustainable management of crucial marine resources.
BERLIN
Volkswagen labour chief sounds alarm on mass layoffs, three German plant closures. Volkswagen plans to shut at least three factories in Germany, lay off tens of thousands of staff and shrink its remaining plants in Europe's biggest economy as it plots a deeper-than-expected overhaul, the company's works council head said on Monday. Read more.
Europe's south
MADRID
EU’s Borrell urges international community to ‘pressure’ Israel for a ceasefire. The international community must pressure on Israel to achieve a ceasefire and "end the tragic situation" in the Middle East, EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday. Read more.
LISBON
Portuguese electricity prices lower than EU average. Average electricity prices in Portugal in the first half of the year were lower than those in neighbouring Spain and the EU average in both the residential and non-residential segments, the regulator said on Monday. Read more.
Nordics
STOCKHOLM
Swedish MEP wants anyone applying for citizenship to recognise Israel. Whoever applies for Swedish citizenship must recognise Israel's right to exist, wrote Swedish MEP Alice Teodorescu Måwe (Christian Democrats, EPP) in a blog post on Monday. Read more.
Eastern Europe
WARSAW
Polish minister sues ex-PM over soldier’s death at border. Polish Justice Minister Adam Bodnar has filed a lawsuit against former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki over accusations he was responsible for the stabbing of a Polish soldier on the Polish-Belarusian border. Read more.
The Balkans
Click on the picture to read the story | Photo by [EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV]
SOFIA
Bulgaria's parliament will welcome a record eight parties for a new term after the weekend's snap elections, which saw former prime minister and GERB leader Boyko Borisov emerge victorious, although he will need to form a four-party coalition or shadow majority to govern. Read more.
BUCHAREST
Most Romanians prefer their next president to be pro-Western. A vast majority of Romanians (70%) prefer a pro-Western and experienced president, according to an INSCOP poll conducted before the first round of the presidential elections on 24 November. Read more.
Agenda
EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosts NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte for working lunch;
Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders participates in EU-Western Balkans Justice and Home Affairs ministerial meeting, in Budva, Montenegro;
Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson holds meetings with Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajić, Minister of Interior Danilo Šaranović, in Podgorica, Montenegro;
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides delivers speech at high-level opening segment of 74th session of WHO Regional Committee for Europe, in Copenhagen, Denmark;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor-Braçe]
The Capitals is brought to you by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Alice Taylor, Daniel Eck and Charles Szumski.
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