Georgian Parliament speaker slams EU’s double standards on violence in Georgia, Albania

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday accused European Union officials of applying double standards in their response to violent protests, saying the EU had condemned violence in Albania but failed to do so when similar incidents occurred in Georgia.

Papuashvili made the remarks in response to the European Commission’s statement condemning violence during ongoing protests in Albania, saying the EU had failed to issue similar condemnations when violent incidents occurred in Georgia.

“Apparently, they are capable of condemning violence after all. They sowed the wind in Georgia and reaped the whirlwind in various EU cities”, he noted.

He said Georgia should have received similar statements from the European Commission following the events of June 20, 2019, the 2020 elections, March 2021 and subsequent incidents.

“We should have heard this statement in March 2021, when the United National Movement and Nika Melia barricaded themselves inside the party’s office, which was referred to as the Alamut fortress. At the time, we saw ambassadors of EU member states visiting him and encouraging violence”, Papuashvili said.

He added that the EU had failed to condemn violence during protests in June 2022, when, according to him, EU-funded non-governmental organizations attempted to overthrow the government outside Parliament.

“We did not hear such condemnation in March 2023, when Lazare Grigoriadis was burning a police officer with a Molotov cocktail. We did not hear it in May 2024, when we witnessed violence and Molotov cocktails on Rustaveli Avenue during the adoption of the Law on Transparency. We did not hear it in November 2024, following the elections, when EU representatives and members of various national parliaments stood here and called on people to pursue a Maidan-style scenario”, he said.

Papuashvili also referred to the events of October 4, 2025, alleging that a crowd encouraged by a European Commission spokesperson had attempted to seize the presidential palace.

“The EU had so many opportunities to condemn violent protests in Georgia, but we never heard such condemnation”, he said.

According to the Parliament speaker, the key question was why the EU had not condemned the incidents.

“Because these groups themselves, Brussels and its tentacles, were behind this violence. The people they funded have been involved since June 20, 2019, and continue to be involved today. They are violent. EU-funded individuals are the ones who tried to burn down and storm the presidential palace and Parliament, and EU-funded individuals are the ones throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at police officers. This is the truth, and they must face it”, Papuashvili said.

He added that the events of October 4 were entirely the responsibility of the European Union and its ambassador.

“Precisely because they encouraged and financed this violence in Georgia, they first pushed this crowd onto the barricades and then left them in prison so they could use this rhetoric as a means of attacking Georgia. They sowed the wind in Georgia and reaped the whirlwind in various EU cities”, Papuashvili said.