Repression is inten­si­fying in Georgia: following an attempt to introduce a Russian-inspired foreign agents law, targeted attacks on civil society, protesters, and independent media have ensued. Civic space is increas­ingly being restricted – through surveil­lance, legal crack­downs, and the targeted perse­cution of critical voices. To withstand this crucial fight for democracy, Georgian civil society now urgently needs clear and decisive support from Europe. Ivane Chkhik­vadze from the Civil Society Foundation analyzes this escalation and outlines concrete expec­ta­tions towards the EU.

Ukraine’s membership bid taken on real momentum since the country applied for EU membership in the early days of the full-scale invasion. Though Ukraine’s track record is generally positive, the devil is in the details. Difficult reforms, especially in the judiciary, require the attention and support of the EU and its member states.

Georgia’s democracy is on the brink of collapse following the fraud­ulent parlia­mentary elections in October 2024 and the violent crackdown by the ruling regime under the Georgian Dream party. In his policy brief, Sergi Kapanadze analyses how the country’s pro-European course has been derailed by systematic election manip­u­lation and repression. His analysis includes concrete recom­men­da­tions for the inter­na­tional community and a call to act now.

On 9 and 10 July, the Center for Liberal Modernity organized the inter­na­tional conference “EU Enlargement — a geopo­litical necessity and the next steps for the EU candidate states” with its partner organi­za­tions in Tbilisi, Georgia.

July 9–10: Center for Liberal Modernity in Tbilisi — inter­na­tional conference with our partner organi­za­tions aims at fostering collab­o­ration among civil society organi­za­tions from the eastern partner­ships and the Western Balkans and strenghten them on EU accession issues. Partic­i­pants will share their paths to EU membership, exchange best practices and develop joint initiatives.

On 14–15 December 2023, the European Council decided to open accession negoti­a­tions with the Republic of Moldova if progress can be made in imple­menting EU reforms, partic­u­larly in the Rule of Law. Since then, the Moldovan government has been contin­u­ously imple­menting the EU reforms. How should Moldova’s progress towards EU accession negoti­a­tions be assessed? What are the next steps in the EU integration process for Moldova? How can the EU and Germany support and accompany Moldova on its European path? 

Unlike Ukraine and Moldova, Georgia has not been given candidate status to EU-Membership in June 2022. In order to receive it, the country must fulfill twelve recom­men­da­tions of the EU Commission, including reforms in the areas of deoli­garchization and anti-corruption. In his policy brief, Sergi Kapanadze analyzes the current status in both areas and makes concrete recom­men­da­tions for action.

After the EU granted Ukraine candidate status in June 2022, the country is making progress in the areas of anti-corruption and deoli­garchization despite the war. In her policy brief, Tetiana Sevchuk analyzes the current state of reforms in Ukraine and what concrete steps are still needed in imple­menting these EU prior­ities so that accession negoti­a­tions can begin.

The danger of Russian aggression in the Republic of Moldova is real, comments Dymutru Minzarari. He proposes concrete steps for Germany and the EU to ensure effective support in the field of security policy.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine raises questions about the security of Eastern European countries seeking membership in the EU and NATO — especially Ukraine. Mykhailo Samus analyses the missing security dimension and necessary changes in Western security policy.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine shows Russia’s imperi­alist expan­sionist strategies, Georgia became a primary target of this power politics in 2008. Sergi Kapanadze describes what steps the West should take for a new and robust security strategy within the Eastern Partnership.

The granting of candidate status does not mean accession: it is above all a recog­nition of the progress Ukraine has made in reforms and a great symbolic gesture to a people who are...

The political crisis in Georgia continues after the municipal runoff elections. The close election result exacer­bates the polar­ization between the supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition...

On 22 October, the foundation stone for a new memorial to the 1941 massacre was laid in Odesa. The future memorial is the result of an initiative of the Centre for...

The consid­erable break­throughs in the EU-Ukraine economic agenda have been harmed by sluggish political devel­opment, partic­u­larly concerning the rule of law. The judicial reform, anti-corruption efforts, independent and efficient law-enforcement...

  On October 5, 2021, the Center Liberal Modernity held the public discussion on prior­ities for cooper­ation with Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova under the Eastern Partnership Plus project. The discussion...

In the LibMod Policy Paper: Assessment of progress in the fight against corruption in the EU-associated states of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, our author Dr. Khatia Kikalishvili argues that insufficient...

In the LibMod-Policy-Paper: Towards a European Climate Diplomacy, Dr. Georg Zachmann analyses the extension of the European Green Deal to the three associated states of the EU (Ukraine, Georgia and the...

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship Plus”, we are pub­lish­ing a second series of input papers on the topic of Perspec­tives and Prior­ities European Green Deal (EGD) in Ukraine, Georgia...

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship Plus”, we are pub­lish­ing a second series of input papers on the topic of Perspec­tives and Prior­ities European Green Deal (EGD) in Ukraine, Georgia...

Online-Panel Discussion on October 6, 2020, with Gunther Krichbaum, Johannes Schraps, Renata Alt, Manuel Sarrazin und others.

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship 2.0” we publish a series of arti­cles about the three EU asso­ci­a­ted states. The authors from the region (Mikheil Benidze, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Victor Gotisan)...

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship 2.0” we publish a series of arti­cles about the three EU asso­ci­a­tion states. The authors from the region (Mikheil Benidze, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Victor Gotisan)...

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship 2.0” we publish a series of arti­cles about the three EU asso­ci­a­tion states. The authors from the region (Mikheil Benidze, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Victor Gotisan)...

The paper ‘From status quo to status reform: Accountable Gover­nance in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova’ argues that greater priority should be attached to the rule of law and democ­ratic governance...

In the LibMod policy paper: “The Eastern Partner­ship’s Missing Security Dimension” Gustav C. Gressel analyses the precarious security situation in the three EU associate countries and sheds light on EU...

Many EU capitals regard Belarus as an extension of Russia and take little interest in it. EU leaders are also uncom­fortable dealing with its long-time autocratic leader, Alexander Lukashenka. Such...

Are Russia’s inter­ven­tions in Georgia, Ukraine and Syria merely a reaction against the expansion of NATO? Facts and arguments concerning a propa­ganda myth.