Majority of Georgians Point Finger at Georgian Dream if European Union Relaxes Travel Visa Restrictions
In a recent poll conducted by the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC), it was revealed that the majority of Georgians hold a positive view towards the European Union (EU) and its visa-free regime with the country.
The survey, which was supported financially by the EU, aimed to assess public attitudes towards the European Union and visa liberalisation. A total of 1,333 respondents were interviewed through a randomly generated sample of phone numbers, ensuring the results are representative of Georgia's adult Georgian-speaking population. The margin of error for the poll is 1.56%.
According to the poll, support for EU membership among young people aged 18-34 is an impressive 86%, while among those over 55, the figure stands at 71%. Those aged 35-54 show a strong backing of 76%. This demonstrates a consistent trend of support for EU integration across different age groups.
Interestingly, views on EU integration are almost identical between men and women. The poll also found that 78% of Georgians believe losing visa-free travel with the EU would harm the country's citizens.
The survey noted that although young people, women, and residents of the capital are more likely to say that ending visa-free travel would be a negative factor for Georgian citizens, public opinion on the issue is largely unanimous, with no major differences between demographic groups.
Support for EU membership is higher in the capital, Tbilisi, than in the regions. However, it's worth noting that at the time of the survey on August 8, 2025, Bidzina Ivanishvili was affiliated with the Georgian Dream political party, which is the capital's ruling party.
The poll also shed light on the responsibility people would place for any potential scrapping of the EU-Georgia visa-free regime. Only 13% would hold the EU responsible, while 5% would blame the opposition. However, if the EU does indeed scrap the visa-free regime, according to the study, 51% of respondents would blame Georgian Dream and its leader Bidzina Ivanishvili.
In conclusion, the poll reveals a strong support for EU integration and the visa-free regime among Georgians, with a majority believing that losing the visa-free travel would harm the country's citizens. The results also suggest a consistent trend of support across different age groups and genders, with a slight bias towards those living in the capital. The responsibility for any potential scrapping of the visa-free regime, according to the Georgian public, would largely lie with the Georgian Dream political party and its leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
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