Georgia’s path to European Union membership seems to be going downhill: the country’s aspirations to finally free itself from Russian influence, and anchor itself to the West, had seemed on the verge of being realised in December 2023, when the EU granted the Caucasus republic candidate status. However, a series of measures adopted in recent months by the government, led by the national-populist Georgian Dream party (ქართული ოცნება, GD), have caused a setback.