At a parliamentary investigative commission session, Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili claimed that Georgia’s EU membership bid was politicized to pressure the government, despite the country leading in reforms among candidate states.

She recounted meetings in early 2022 where EU figures allegedly predicted that Moldova and Ukraine would receive candidate status, while Georgia would be left out, to gauge public reaction against the ruling Georgian Dream party—despite 85% of Georgians supporting EU integration.

Botchorishvili argued that certain political actors, NGOs, and media in Georgia used EU integration as a tool to push for a change in government outside of constitutional means. She emphasized that Georgia was objectively ahead in reforms and achievements, but a false narrative was created to undermine the country’s progress and discredit the state.