Slovak MEP highlights European Commission’s unfair pressure, changed attitude toward Georgia

Branislav Ondruš, a Slovak Member of the European Parliament, on Thursday suggested that the European Commission's recent comments regarding Georgia’s “slow pace of progress” on its path to the EU were directly connected to the Commission's changed attitude toward the country

In his remarks with Imedi TV over the EU Enlargement Report, Ondruš noted that the European Commission's perspective on Georgia shifted after the country chose not to join the EU's sanctions policy against Russia.

He explained that Georgia could not risk deep economic problems by imposing sanctions.

“When the European Commission talks about Georgia’s slow progress, it is related to the Commission's attitude toward Georgia. The European Commission changed its attitude toward Georgia after Georgia did not follow the EU sanctions policy, because Georgia could not risk deep economic problems. This is how we started an unfair approach toward Georgia from the EU. The Government is pro-Russian only because this Government did not risk the country's security - this is truly terrible and unfair”, Ondruš said.

He further added that the European Union failed to understand the reasons and the reality of Georgia, the full picture, and started unfair pressure.

“If I were the President or Prime Minister of Georgia, I would have done exactly that, because this is my responsibility. The European Union failed to understand the reasons and the reality of Georgia, the full picture, and started unfair pressure. I regret that the Georgian opposition was nurtured by some European politicians so that they would not enter the Georgian parliament. I think that the opposition now has a chance to regulate the situation, to return to normal political activity, communicate with the government and prepare for the upcoming parliamentary elections”, he concluded.