A majority of the population wants the country to gain candidate status for EU membership, although only half the country hopes this will happen this year.
Desire and hope
A final decision on granting Georgia EU candidate status is due in December, but before then the European Commission will publish its annual report on enlargement, and the decision will largely be based on these assessments. There is one day left before the report is published.
The research company ACT conducted a study of Georgia's attitude towards accepting EU candidate status.
The population survey was conducted throughout the country on October 20-31, 2023, with 809 respondents aged 18-65 living in Georgia interviewed by telephone, with an overall margin of error of 3.5%.
According to the survey, 9 out of 10 Georgian citizens (87%) want the country to receive candidate status for EU membership. According to the study, 92% of residents of Tbilisi and 85% of the regions want to obtain candidate status for EU membership.
Almost half of the population of Georgia - 45% believe that this year the country will receive candidate status for EU membership. In the regions they are optimistic - 47% believe that the country will receive EU membership status this year, while in the capital expectations are lower - only 4 out of 10 citizens expect candidate status for EU membership this year.
EU membership means a developed future for the country.
The benefits of the country's accession to the European Union are obvious to the population of Georgia. According to a study conducted by ACT last year (June 2022), for 90% of the country's population, EU membership means a developed future for Georgia.
Citizens surveyed associated membership with a means of protection against Russian military aggression (66%), 8 out of 10 citizens believed that granting candidate membership status would be a clear signal sent to Russia that Georgia is committed to a Western course.
That is why last year's results coincide with the main data of this year's study and show the unshakable will of the Georgian people to become a member of the European family. According to a study conducted in 2022, every second citizen expected to receive candidate status for EU membership. According to the survey, the top three reasons for not receiving status were: violation of human rights (27%), an unclear position towards Ukraine in the Russian-Ukrainian war (26%) and problems in the judicial system (26%). ).
83% of the population considered obtaining EU candidate status an important event and believed that Georgia was closer than ever to EU membership. Citizens believe that if Georgia does not receive candidate membership status in the near future, it will not have such a chance for a long time.
The choice of the people and the merit of the people
Last year's poll also showed who, in people's opinion, is responsible for not achieving EU candidate status - four out of 10 citizens (38%) believed that the responsibility lies with the Georgian government, and if the EU decides to give the country the status, 40% respondents believe that this will be the merit of the Georgian people.
On November 8, the European Commission will publish its annual report on enlargement, a finding that will form the basis for a decision scheduled for December. We already know what the majority of the country's population wants, but we do not know whether the expectations of optimistic citizens who believe that the glass is half full and the country is definitely on the threshold of Europe will be met.
