As Georgia gravitates further from its democratic aspirations, the bloc of European supporters faces an unprecedented challenge. Reforms once promised appear increasingly superficial, with governance shifting towards centralized authority and diminishing pluralism. The façade of democratic progress is cracking as opposition voices face systematic silencing, judicial independence is undermined, and media freedom retracts. This erosion not only jeopardizes Georgia’s democratic fabric but also strains the credibility of European institutions invested in the region’s transformation.

Europe’s leverage is further weakened by internal political fatigue and competing geopolitical interests, complicating efforts to influence Tbilisi’s trajectory. The waning optimism has prompted…