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The Georgian diplomat further noted that it is good to have a clear goal to pur-
sue and in the current situation the rule “more for more”, which allowed the EU
to gain real influence on its partners, is disappearing. Against this background,
the ambassador stressed that if the essence of the Eastern Partnership were to be
preserved, it would be necessary to present the countries which are continuing
the integration efforts with a new offer in order to take it to the next level. At the
moment, when Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova have de facto exploited the current
reservoir of the main incentives planned by the EU, it would be hard not to agree,
at least partially, with these statements.Exploiting the divideThe arguments put forward by Sabanadze have been mirrored in public opin-
ion polls (from April 2016). According to data from the US National Democratic
Institute, 39 per cent of Georgians claim that the change will not bring them any
benefits, despite common awareness of visa regime liberalisation with Schengen
zone states. At the same time, 78 per cent of respondents thought that Georgian
citizens cannot afford a trip to the EU anyway. One 27-year old, named Giorgi,
living permanently in Warsaw told me: “At first, there was huge joy that we got the
visa free regime, and some of my friends went to the EU for the first time. How-
ever, attitudes in society are much more realistic. The vast majority cannot afford
to travel. Nevertheless, of course, it is still important for us to receive something
in return for our efforts.”
The data show one more trend: the main reason for joining the EU, apart from
economic factors (59 per cent), are security matters (36 per cent). The results
contrast with the fact that the possibility of visa free travel encourages only about
one-fifth of Georgians to support further integration. Hence, it remains an open
question whether soft solutions, such as lifting roaming for Eastern Partnership
countries, will be sufficient in the long-term. They are undeniably important, but
should they not be accompanied by actions that would offer Georgians a closer
perspective of EU membership? From the Georgian point of view, the question is
currently independent of the current political climate in Brussels, Berlin and Paris.
The fact that there are disparities between Georgian and European decision-
makers is clear for Moscow. Recently, we have observed an increase in Russian
propaganda. The Russian state appears to be trying to exploit the existing political
problems between Georgia and the West (e.g., the lack of perspectives to join the
EU and N ATO) and promote a positive view of the Russian Federation. Georgia,
like Russia, is a country strongly rooted in the tradition of the Orthodox culture,Opinion & Analysis Visas for Georgians are not enough, Mateusz Kubiak