TBILISI (Reuters) - The European Union may consider temporarily suspending its visa-free regime with Georgia if an Oct. 26 parliamentary election in the EU candidate country is not free, fair and peaceful, the bloc's ambassador to Tbilisi said on Friday.

"All options are on the table" if Georgia does not reverse its trend toward authoritarianism, "including the potential temporary suspension of the visa liberalization scheme," a spokesperson for the European Commission told Politico.

The European Union may suspend the visa-free regime for Georgian citizens. This would be a response to the anti-democratic actions of the Georgian government and its anti-Western rhetoric, according to Politico.

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Integration Committee, on Friday expressed concerns over “ongoing speculation” regarding the European Union's visa-free travel with Tbilisi,

The South Caucasus country’s government must live up to its obligations if it wants to keep its benefits, the Commission told POLITICO.

The Ambassador emphasized the EU’s support for civil society organizations, particularly those monitoring the elections. He described their role as “key” to ensuring the highest electoral standards.