Georgian PM: EU bureaucracy punishes Georgians with “shameful double standards”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday accused the European bureaucracy of applying “shameful double standards” against Georgia, claiming they were punishing Georgian citizens while offering preferential treatment to Moldova.

In his interview with Rustavi 2 TV channel, Kobakhidze highlighted what he described as “clear injustice” when comparing Georgia and Moldova's respective paths toward European integration.

“This process is extremely unfair to the Georgian people. We often compare our country to Moldova. Corruption thrives in Moldova, its institutions are extremely weak, it is a member of the CIS, and so on. Nevertheless, Moldova is almost declared a new beacon of democracy. Political parties are banned there, yet this is praised. Politicians are arrested, which is also commended. None of this would be acceptable in Georgia. The injustice is clear when we compare Georgia to Moldova”, the PM said.

“Another blatant injustice towards the Georgian people is that Moldova held a referendum on joining the European Union, and only 45 percent of the population supported it. In Georgia, despite a decline in trust over the last 2-3 years - not only towards the European bureaucracy but also towards the EU as an institution - support still stands at 50 percent. That is the situation. There is a pro-European population here, while only 45 percent of Moldova’s population expressed support”, he continued.

Kobakhidze concluded by emphasising that under these circumstances, a decision had been made to punish the Georgian people by imposing different conditions on Moldova’s population.

“This double standard is so evident that the actions of the European bureaucracy are truly shameful”, he noted.