Georgian Parliament Speaker accuses MEP of “Soviet thinking” over Ivanishvili's asset threat

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday responded sharply to recent remarks made by German MEP Michael Gahler, who suggested that measures might be taken against Bidzina Ivanishvili’s - the founder and Honorary Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party - assets in France.

In a social media post, Papuashvili denounced the statement, equating it to authoritarian practices.

“Don't compare us to the Soviet Union, they say - yet confiscation and expropriation were hallmarks of the communist regime. So yes, this is deeply Soviet thinking”, the Speaker said.

“So yes, this is deeply Soviet thinking, and the sooner people realise where some politicians and bureaucrats are steering the European Union, the better”, Papuashvili concluded.