“When 20 political parties were banned in Ukraine, no one expressed concern” - MEP Tomasz Froelich accuses Georgia’s critics of applying double standards

European Parliament member Tomasz Froelich on Wednesday accused critics of Georgia of applying double standards, questioning why concerns are being raised over the possible banning of opposition parties in Georgia while Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) is itself facing calls for a ban.

“You have a serious deficit of trust, and it is precisely the result of all this - selective outrage. When 20 political parties were banned in Ukraine, no one expressed concern. On the contrary, Zelenskyy was rewarded with billions. The concept of human rights is being interpreted selectively, according to a selective morality, and this is genuinely undermining trust at the international level. That is why we are losing influence”, he said.

“What is Georgia’s problem? The country is developing and recording 8% economic growth - something we can only dream of”, the MEP continued.

Froelich added that, according to the Good Governance Index, Georgia ranks higher than some EU member states, while the World Justice Project places the country ahead of all others in Central Asia in terms of the rule of law.

“So, what are we really talking about? This is not about democracy. It is about Georgia rejecting the woke absurdities and LGBT propaganda, respecting its Christian heritage, and staying out of the Russia-Ukraine conflict because it does not want to become ‘the next Ukraine’. That is what we need to understand”, he said.

“It is a small country surrounded by Russia, Iran and Turkey. In such an environment, Georgia is compelled to act differently, and we need to understand that. We should view Georgia as a partner and as a bridge to Asia - that is the reality. Confrontation with Georgia is simply not in our interests”, Froelich concluded.