Euractiv.com with AFP Est. 2min 31-03-2021 (updated: 05-07-2021 ) Christian Danielsson, Personal Envoy of President of the European Council, speaks during a press conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, 12 March 2021. [Zurab Kurtsikidze/EPA/EFE] Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: FrançaisPrint Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram The second round of European Union-mediated talks between Georgia’s ruling party and the opposition failed Wednesday (31 March) to resolve a political impasse sparked by elections last year, an EU mediator said. The EU-aspirant nation in Europe’s extreme southeast has been gripped by a political crisis following October’s parliamentary elections which the opposition has denounced as rigged, staging mass protests to demand snap polls. The stalemate worsened last month after police arrested the opposition leader in a violent raid on the headquarters of his United National Movement (UNM), the Caucasus country’s main opposition force, leading the prime minister to resign. The UNM leader is former President Mikheil Saakashvili (2004-2013). The Brief, powered by amfori – Georgia on my mind How much good can a single man do for his country? And how many bad things? And isn’t it extraordinary if the same man can do good things during one part of his life and bad things in the other? The escalation prompted concerns in the West over Georgia’s backsliding on commitments to democracy and European Council President Charles Michel initiated inter-party talks during a visit to the capital Tbilisi this month. EU envoy heads back to Georgia to continue mediation European Council President Charles Michel’s personal envoy to Georgia will head back to Tbilisi this week in an effort to find a solution to the ongoing political crisis that EU officials say may jeopardise the South Caucasian country’s European aspirations. Georgia’s … Swedish diplomat Christian Danielsson, who was appointed to mediate the negotiations, told a press conference in the early hours of Wednesday that the political parties have failed to agree on a way out of the crisis. “Fulfilling European aspiration requires compromise, especially by the party in power to lead the country out of the crisis,” he said at the late-night briefing following seven hours of tense talks. “Sadly… there was not this willingness today around the table.” The talks are focused on electoral and judicial reforms, the liberation of jailed opposition politicians, and prospects for snap polls. The first, week-long, round of negotiations also proved fruitless on 19 March. Danielsson said that Michel “will decide on the next steps and the timing of such steps.” The ruling Georgian Dream party leaders have rejected the opposition’s accusations of torpedoing the negotiations and of undermining Georgia’s bid to forge closer ties with the European Union. The Georgian government has announced plans to apply for EU membership in 2024. Georgian president visits Brussels in push for 2024 EU membership application The President of Georgia Salome Zourabishvili is paying a visit to all three on European institutions Thursday and Friday (21-22 January) to cement Georgia’s bid for an EU membership in 2024. The visit of the Caucasian country’s head of state comes … Opposition parties have refused to enter the new parliament, tarnishing the legitimacy of the Georgian Dream party’s government. Read more with Euractiv Spain presents new EU-Africa development strategySpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said his country has aspirations to help create a new EU development strategy in Africa, EURACTIV's partner EFE reports.