Georgian Parliament Speaker on European Ministers’ letter: stop “unjust attacks”, “aggressive rhetoric” against Georgia

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Saturday criticised a joint statement by the foreign ministers of 17 European countries and the European Union's High Representative, urging them to cease what he described as “unjust attacks” and “aggressive rhetoric” against the Georgian state.

The joint statement from the 17 European foreign ministers and the EU High Representative urged the Georgian government to “immediately release unjustly detained politicians, journalists, and activists, repeal repressive legislation, and engage in national dialogue with all relevant parties”.

Papuashvili asserted that the path currently being taken by “Brussels bureaucracy” was leading towards the Soviet Union. He emphasised the importance of the European Union abandoning this trajectory and returning to its core values.

“If attacking a police officer with fists, targeting police officers with explosive fireworks, or setting fire to the parliament building is considered peaceful action, I don’t know what to say. I will say one thing to these 17 countries: look at your own countries. If someone attacked their police officers with fists, set fire to their parliament, or targeted them with fireworks, would they tolerate it without reacting? Unfortunately, this is no longer even a double standard; it is a lack of standards towards countries that some do not consider their equals and treat as inferior. Our police officers are supposed to be punched, have stones and Molotov cocktails thrown at them, and apparently, from their perspective, this is normal. This is exactly what ultimately causes disappointment amongst our population - this is shown in polls when trust in the European Union declines, because people see that they look down on us as a second-class country”, the Speaker said.

The Speaker warned that Brussels’ current approach marks a dangerous drift away from fundamental European values.

“Everything seems permissible here if it comes from people they fund. That’s why this is important, and this is the main sentiment amongst the Georgian people. It is important that these countries stop unjust attacks on the Georgian state and cease aggressive rhetoric against Georgia. Unfortunately, we see that Brussels and the circles around these capitals are deeply afflicted by this disease, speaking to an independent state with aggressive rhetoric and a threatening tone”, he noted.

Papuashvili concluded with a call for the European Union to “wake up” and renew its commitment to constructive engagement and mutual respect.

“It is important that the European Union wakes up and returns to the path of European values in time. The path that Brussels’ bureaucracy is on today leads toward the Soviet Union, so it is crucial for the EU to stop this trajectory and return to fundamental values such as respect for human rights and the rule of law”, he concluded.