MEP Thierry Mariani accuses Brussels of rewarding Moldova for obedience and punishing Georgia for independence

French MEP Thierry Mariani on Sunday said the European Union had announced the suspension of Georgia’s EU integration process on June 27, 2024, citing the Georgian government’s adoption of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.

“We should not forget that on June 27, 2024, the European Union announced that it was suspending Georgia’s integration process. Why? The reason was the law adopted by the Georgian government on transparency of foreign influence. This was an understandable step, since EU member states adopted similar laws shortly afterwards”, he said.

In an interview with Imedi TV, Mariani accused the EU of applying double standards, arguing that the bloc considered itself entitled to adopt such legislation while criticising Georgia for doing the same.

“After the Georgian government adopted the aforementioned law to protect national sovereignty and prevent foreign interference in Georgia’s internal affairs, the EU responded by freezing the integration process. It was against this backdrop that Moldova moved ahead. The real reason is political. If you are obedient to Ms von der Leyen and the European Commission, you will be placed first. But if you are independent and want to protect your country’s national interests, you will not earn the EU’s approval”, the MEP continued.

“Moldova is obedient to Brussels; it is a good student, the EU’s most obedient student. Naturally, Brussels takes this into account in every way. This also means that Moldova will have to act entirely in accordance with Brussels’ instructions. That is the logical consequence. I believe that choosing independence is always the only right choice”, Mariani concluded.