Following up on NATO’s rebuke of the Georgian government’s embrace of illiberal practices, a US State Department official said in a statement to Eurasianet that Tbilisi needs to show a “demonstrable commitment to democracy” or otherwise risk shutting “the door on Georgia’s European future.” 

The statement, given exclusively to Eurasianet, is perhaps one of the clearest public expressions to date that Western patience with the Georgian Dream-dominated government’s policy direction is running low. 

“We – and the EU and many European countries – have been clear that there would be consequences for Georgian Dream’s actions and rhetoric,” the State Department official said in a written statement, speaking on background. 

“The statements and actions of the Georgian government – including its attacks against civil society and democratic norms and its promotion of disinformation about the United States, the EU, and EU member states – are incompatible with the democratic values that underpin membership in the EU and NATO and thus undermine Georgia’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration,” the official added. 

Western governments have assailed legislative changes in recent months introduced by the Georgian Dream government, in particular adoption of a “foreign agents” law that can be used to silence watchdog groups and news outlets seeking to hold the government accountable for its actions.  

While the Georgian government’s recent moves signal an intent to make a geopolitical pivot away from the West, polls show a considerable majority of Georgians remain in favor of the country’s accession to Western institutions, in particular the European Union and NATO. 

At its mid-July summit, NATO appeared to put the question of Georgia’s accession on ice. The State Department official emphasized that NATO remained willing to reopen the pathway to membership for Georgia, but only if the government “can meet the requirements and obligations,” including clear commitments to promoting individual freedoms and a free press. 

“The United States strongly supports the desire of the Georgian people to pursue Euro-Atlantic integration,” the State Department official added.