Georgian Parliament Speaker: whoever finances extremism does not wish well for Georgian people

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Sunday denounced Shéraz Gasri, the French Ambassador to Georgia, for funding a prominent figure from the opposition United National Movement just hours before the enactment of the country’s foreign grants law, suggesting this was part of a broader effort by foreign actors to support extremist elements aimed at destabilising the Georgian Government.

A social media message specifically names Irakli Khvadagiani, an activist affiliated with the United National Movement.

“This individual, Irakli Khvadagiani, was number 8 on the United National Movement party list in the 2024 parliamentary elections, became a member of parliament, and, along with other radicals from the National Movement, gave up his mandate. The National Movement today openly declares its intent to overthrow the Government. A few weeks ago, the French Ambassador allocated funding to this specific activist just hours before the grants law took effect. The pretext for providing the funds, as stated by the French Embassy, was to draw up tourist routes in Kutaisi. It is, of course, purely coincidental that these route planners happen to be participants in the Government overthrow, election disruption, and street violence”, the Speaker said.

The Speaker further compared these alleged schemes to those recently targeted by the new US administration, which, he claimed, had ceased funding programs that interfere in other countries’ internal affairs.

“However, in reality, this coincidence clearly exposes the schemes through which extremism is financed in Georgia. These are the exact schemes exposed by the new US administration, which stopped funding interference in other countries. It is indeed catastrophic to witness how, with non-European zeal, geographically European entities take on the funding of payroll schemes for extremism”, he continued.

While refraining from directly addressing the French Ambassador, Papuashvili pondered what would happen if the Georgian Embassy were to fund individuals in France planning to “overthrow the Government and disrupt elections”.

“Let us simply know this for ourselves - this is extremism, and whoever finances extremism does not wish well for the Georgian people”, he concluded.