In December 2023, Georgia was given official status of a candidate state of the European Union. This decision was not easy, and the nation went through years (or even centuries) of efforts to align its future with Europe. The independence Georgia gained after the collapse of the Soviet Union was a long and difficult experience – the first years of independence did not promise much, but the reforms that started in 2004 created chances to join the Euro-Atlantic community.
In 2008, Russia attacked Georgia and occupied its two regions, limiting the speed of its reforms and development. The European Union answered this with new initiatives of the Eastern Partnership (EP) converted into Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Alarmed by this, Russia attacked Ukraine and occupied Crimea and part of the Donbass region, which was continued with the 2022 wider invasion of Ukraine. The European Union offered to the EP trio (Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) acceleration of their path toward membership in the EU. As a result, the three nations were granted the candidacy status – Moldova and Ukraine in 2022, whereas Georgia in 2023.
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09-GIA JANDIERI THE EUROPEAN UNION WHY IS IT THE ONLY CHOICE FOR GEORGIA
The discussions before receiving the candidacy status in Georgia were quite tough and came under pressure of openly pro-Kremlin groups, as well as with hesitation on the side of the government. However, the majority of the pro-European population regards this move as a major chance to get rid of the Russian political and economic influence and be a member of a club that respects individuals and their families.
On the other side of Georgia’s choice is Russia and its Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). However, most Georgians instinctively oppose any ties with Russia and choose the EU, even though Russian propaganda is still powerful. Directly financed by groups from Russia attempt to deceive Georgians that Russia is a good choice despite extensive evidence to the contrary. This is why many people can be trapped with propaganda narratives prepared in Russia.
Another new challenge currently in the world is the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and it is led by a new union of nations – BRICS. After decades of successful reforms and the PRC becoming the second largest economy in the world, the Chinese government operates with huge financial resources that are employed not only in military spending, but also in economic projects everywhere in the world. This phenomenon has already become a political issue for countries around the globe, including Georgia – where its government has already started a flirty relationship with the Chinese government, which looks more like a domination effort from the PRC than an agreement.
PRC and Russia, together with India, initiated a new agreement among them and now, already eleven nations (Argentina recently decided to stop its membership and this analysis does not include its data) that is called BRICS. Currently BRICS leaders (namely Russian and Chinese) initiated several projects, including getting rid of the U.S. dollar from their trade. Squeezed between such challenges and choices. Georgia needs good knowledge of what these choices promise to its people in order not to get into another trap of long-run political and economic obligations.
What Georgia can immediately find out are: voluntary membership, consensus-based decision-making, and voting power of even the smallest member in the European Union. These are the most important political rights of a nation that are completely different from the Soviet Union rules. Georgians can assume that any new treaty with Russia and/or China can be very dangerous, harmful, and costly. Therefore, it is crucial to provide a comparative analysis of the EU, EEU, and BRICS from the Georgian perspective.
Background and Approach
Georgia decided to be a member of the European Union that would be accepted by both the EU as a whole and its members. What can attract Georgians to the EU is life protected by means of civil, political and economic rights, better quality of life, medical services, or education. As a consequence, this analysis is based on several surveys of independent institutions studying certain aspects of life and business of the world nations. The results show unchallenged leadership and the best results of the EU overwhelmingly championing the rivals from the EEU and the BRICS. Joining the European Union thus serves as a promise of a better quality of life and better opportunities for business, high development, and overall happiness.
