Georgia: Thousands of demonstrators celebrated the country’s status as a candidate for European Union membership

Tens of thousands of Georgians gathered in the country’s capital, Tbilisi, to celebrate the country being granted EU candidate status.

Waving Georgian and EU flags, crowds cheered the decision as they flooded Tbilisi’s central Freedom Square on Friday night, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

✊🇬🇪🇪🇺 #Georgia has been granted the candidate status!

The candidate status is the merit of the Georgian people and the activity of the civil society.#Europeanunion #Georgia

#🇬🇪🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/G4nqG5GZrE

— The Reforms and Research Group (@RR__group) December 15, 2023

“I congratulate you on this historic event. Long live united, strong, European Georgia!” said Irakli Garibashvili.

An orchestra performed the Georgian national anthem and the EU’s Ode to Joy.

Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine applied to join the 27-nation bloc after the Kremlin launched war on Ukraine last year.

The EU granted candidate status to Kyiv and Chisinau at the time, but urged Tbilisi to first reform its judicial and electoral systems, reduce political polarization, improve press freedom and curb the power of oligarchs.

🇪🇺🤝🇬🇪 “Georgia has been granted the candidate status! On this historic day, the European Union and our Member States have one message to the people of Georgia” – Watch the video message of the EU Ambassador Pawel Herczynski and the Ambassadors of the EU Member States ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/RVQv3X1dIQ

— EU Delegation Georgia 🇪🇺 (@EUinGeorgia) December 14, 2023

In November, the European Commission recommended that EU leaders grant Georgia official candidate status — subject to the Tbilisi government introducing reforms.

EU membership is enshrined in Georgia’s constitution and is supported – according to opinion polls – by around 80 percent of the population.

Indeed, MPs in the parliaments of Moldova and Georgia waved EU flags and played the Union anthem at the start of their parliamentary sessions on Friday, following Thursday’s surprise announcement to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidacy in Georgia.