Georgian Parliament Speaker criticises German Ambassador for violating diplomatic norms

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday harshly criticised the German Ambassador to Georgia, accusing him of breaching both the Vienna Convention and Germany’s constitution, and acting more like a radical local politician than a diplomat.

“If an ambassador calls me a slave, if an ambassador says that criminals should not be punished, then naturally, citizens will no longer view him as a diplomat, but as a regular political figure - a Georgian radical politician, who will be treated accordingly”, the Speaker said in an interview with Imedi TV.

Papuashvili noted that the German Ambassador’s recent public actions constituted direct interference in Georgia’s internal affairs and judicial process. He referred to two specific instances which, he claimed, violated international diplomatic norms.

“Here are these two images, and when we talk about the Vienna Convention, among them, the first is an interview where the German Ambassador gave an interview conducted on the backdrop of a poster emblazoned with “Freedom to Mzia”. This is a direct violation of Article 41, clause 1 of the Vienna Convention. This is interference by a diplomat in the host country's
judiciary. This is a direct violation of the Vienna Convention”, he continued.

“In the second case, the Ambassador appeared again in front of a banner displaying the word ‘slave’. By posing in front of such messages, he is essentially sending a signal that aligns with the rhetoric of radical opposition groups. This is not just a violation of the Vienna Convention - it also breaches the German constitution”, he said.

Papuashvili claimed that by remaining silent about the banner's message and not distancing himself from it, the ambassador knowingly endorsed the term “slave”, a word used by some opposition figures to disparage the ruling Georgian Dream party and its supporters - approximately 1.12 million voters.

“He has not said a single word to express regret or even acknowledge the insult. That silence speaks volumes - he knew exactly what the message was and embraced it”, the Speaker noted.

Drawing a controversial comparison, the Speaker also referenced a former Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany who famously called the German Chancellor a “liver sausage” at the start of the war in Ukraine.

“If this is the standard they want ambassadors to adopt here - extravagant, provocative behavior - then they should understand this is a different culture. The Georgian people will not tolerate being called slaves by any ambassador, just as they would not accept being insulted in such ways”, he concluded.