Georgian Parliament Speaker: protests in France reflect consequences of interference abroad

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Sunday drew a parallel between recent violent unrest in France and the French Embassy’s past support for opposition activists in Georgia, saying those who “sow the wind in another country will reap the whirlwind at home”.

In a social media post, Papuashvili shared a photograph from 2025 showing the French Embassy in Georgia supporting opposition activists.

“Neither were these Venetian cartographers, nor were those Egyptian students eager to learn”, he said.

“What we are witnessing in France these days reminds us that those who sow the wind in another country will reap the whirlwind at home”, the Parliament Speaker concluded.

Violence erupted across France again on Saturday amid protests over problems in schools and the rising cost of living, with the government describing the situation as an “escalation of violence”. An estimated 550,000 people took to the streets in cities across the country, and at least 1,200 people were arrested.

In Paris, clashes with police continued into the evening, with officers using tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators.