Georgian Parliament Speaker: Georgia does not intend to join any union on terms worse than those of Soviet Union

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday criticised a new European Union proposal that would limit the veto rights of future member states, stating that Georgia has no intention of joining any union under conditions worse than those that existed in the Soviet Union.

In his interview with Rustavi 2 TV channel, Papuashvili stressed that Georgia has not applied to become a second-tier member of the bloc.

The Speaker further suggested that the initiative could be part of a broader tactic by Brussels.

“Georgia certainly does not intend to join any union on terms worse than those of the Soviet Union. Georgia was not in the Soviet Union under the condition that it would have fewer rights than any other republic. Everyone had equal rights, if one can even speak of rights in that context. Yet today, they talk about accepting a country as a member: first, they make you pass through every filter and a thousand hoops, every member state must agree that you deserve in every way to be a member of this union, and after this hard-earned membership, they tell you,

‘You are now a second-class member. We are the elders here, the big brothers; you are the little brother, and things must be as we decide’”, he said.

“They are telling you that your voice will not be considered in foreign policy. In other words, they want to decide - without the new members - who to start a war with and who to impose sanctions on. They also intend to decide on issues concerning European Union treaties; they will change everything without asking us anything. Regarding budget and finance issues, as well as rights - they will invent and add new rights without even consulting us. Of course, this is not the kind of membership we applied for, and that is the problem”, Papuashvili continued.

The Speaker further suggested that the proposal may reflect a broader strategy by Brussels to move away from its enlargement policy.

“They are trying to introduce new rules. In the middle of the game, they are not merely changing the rules - they are changing the game itself. We would no longer be equal members of the team but part of a two-tier structure with senior and junior members. The question is whether this is a strategy for abandoning enlargement policy by inventing new rules that make membership in such a union less attractive for candidate countries”, Papuashvili concluded.