Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker: US Congressman Joe Wilson represents United National Movement rather than his constituents

Nino Tsilosani, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday criticised US Congressman Joe Wilson, asserting that the American politician’s legislative focus proves he acts on behalf of domestic opposition forces rather than his constituents in South Carolina.

In her interview with Imedi TV, Tsilosani responded to Wilson’s recent claims that the ruling Georgian Dream party was undermining freedom of speech, arguing instead that the congressman is attempting to mask organised political hate speech as legitimate expression.

“It is interesting that Joe Wilson is elected from the state of South Carolina and, by rule, should represent this state and its people; however, after his re-election in 2024, he has not initiated a single bill related to South Carolina; the two bills he initiated concerned Georgia. We encounter Joe Wilson in the FARA documents, where he is a politician financed as a result of lobbying by the National Movement. This is a person with whom, as it appears, the National Movement has very good access routes, and he represents not South Carolina, but the National Movement”, he said.

She argued that while criticism from individual members of the US Congress creates challenges, the broader direction of Georgia-US relations is demonstrated through concrete developments, including recent high-level contacts between the two countries.

“It certainly carries a certain negative load that even one specific person in Congress mentions Georgia in such a negative light; however, of far greater importance is the step forward taken in relations with America, which is expressed in concrete results every time”, Tsilosani noted.

The Vice Speaker highlighted Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili’s participation in a conference in Washington organised at the invitation of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying that such events demonstrate progress in restoring bilateral relations.

Tsilosani also rejected Wilson’s criticism regarding freedom of speech, claiming that what he describes as restrictions are actually measures against hate speech and incitement.

“It is also very interesting what topic Joe Wilson intends to stir up - this is the incitement of hatred hidden under the cover of freedom of speech. That campaign of hatred which was well financed in Georgia and for which the relevant legislation adopted appropriate regulation, and now Joe Wilson is trying to present all of this as a restriction of freedom of speech. It is very interesting that at the conference held by Marco Rubio himself there was talk of political terrorism, under which we can freely include that campaign of hatred, which is directly political terrorism”, Tsilosani said.

“Not only in the US, but especially in Europe they are fighting it. We saw that they even want to pass hatred through humour, the insult of religious sanctities and ancestors. Germany and France have one of the strictest legislations, including for posts written on social networks. We have seen quite a few people arrested and fined. This behaviour is punished on the scale of the whole of Europe. However, Joe Wilson, as it appears, wants to present Georgia’s given situation in a completely different way”, she concluded.