71% of Georgians support Europe, but almost half believe the government's course is heading in the wrong direction

The majority of Georgians still support the country's accession to the European Union, but increasingly doubt that the government's current course is bringing the country closer to that goal. This is according to the results of an annual public opinion survey conducted as part of the EU NEIGHBOURS EAST program.

According to the survey, 71% of respondents support Georgia's EU membership, and 79% believe it will bring more benefits than harm to the country. For many, the EU remains a key international partner: 67% of respondents trust it.

At the same time, almost half of the survey participants—49%—believe that Georgia is moving in the wrong direction toward EU membership. Moreover, 56% of respondents believe that recently adopted laws affecting civil society and the media could complicate the country's path to European integration.

Eighty-seven percent of respondents stated the need to work more actively toward rapprochement with the European Union. The majority also associate the European course with new opportunities and additional security guarantees: 76% and 75% of survey participants, respectively, believe this.

At the same time, attitudes toward the EU remain ambiguous. Almost every second respondent believes the EU has its own hidden interests in the region, and 43% believe that Brussels is imposing its values.

The study's authors also recorded a decline in interest in information about EU activities. While more than half of citizens regularly heard such news a year ago, now only 40% of respondents reported this.

The study was conducted in January and February 2026 using personal interviews. More than 1,000 Georgian residents participated.

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