Georgian Parliament Speaker says EU must be union of diversity

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday underscored the importance of the European Union remaining a “union of diversity” during his remarks to Georgian journalists on the sidelines of the EU Speakers’ Conference held in Hungary’s capital.

In his remarks, Papuashvili stressed that the voices and interests of every nation, every culture, and every state must be heard.

“First and foremost, our expectation is that the European Union should be a union of diversity, and therefore, the interests and voices of all nations, all cultures, and all states should be heard”, the Speaker said.

He further highlighted the need for the EU to respect democratic legitimacy, particularly when it comes to candidate countries.

“In Georgia, it is the people who determine the structure and composition of Government branches. It is crucial that this democratic mandate is honoured”, he continued.

Papuashvili also voiced concerns over discussions within the EU about replacing the consensus-based decision-making system with majority voting.

“This is especially troubling for smaller states, as it risks silencing their voices. Truth is not measured by the size of a country”, he noted.

He further criticised what he described as harmful attempts to impose a so-called vetting system on Georgia’s judiciary, which he argued would delegate the formation of one of Georgia’s branches of Government to representatives of foreign countries.

“This contradicts the principle of sovereignty. I don’t believe any EU member state would allow external actors to intervene in the formation of its Government institutions”, Papuashvili concluded.