Georgian Parliament Speaker accuses German Ambassador of “un-European behaviour” over criticism

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday responded to the statement made by the German Ambassador, noting that labeling criticism as “speaking poorly” reflects Soviet, not European thinking.

In a social media message, Papuashvili emphasised that the German Ambassador should refrain from targeting representatives elected by the Georgian people.

“Europe implies openness to criticism, not the suppression of critical thought. The fact that the European Union is large and we seek membership does not grant anyone the right to prohibit us from criticising what deserves criticism”, he said.

“Periodic attacks by the German Ambassador on the representatives elected by the Georgian people, provoked by irritation at legitimate criticism, are deeply non-European in both nature and form. It is important that such attacks come to an end,”, the Speaker concluded.