Georgian Parliament official dismisses PACE deputies’ statement as “ordinary political games”

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on European Integration, on Wednesday rejected a statement by 51 deputies of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as “ordinary political games”.

The MPs had warned that they might challenge the credentials of Georgia’s delegation if the country did not reverse what they described as an “authoritarian course”.

In his remarks, Makhashvili criticised the deputies, accusing them of actively working to undermine Georgia’s image during and after the 2024 parliamentary elections.

“It’s at least amusing when such assessments are made by people who, even during the days of the last parliamentary elections and in the subsequent period, were directly involved in tarnishing the elections and the Government, damaging Georgia’s image”, Makhashvili said.

He further expressed disappointment but not surprise at the deputies’ actions, suggesting their primary aim was to “cause short-term harm to Georgia” and support the country’s radical opposition.

“We are not surprised by these individuals. On the contrary, our desire and expectation is that instead of spreading disinformation and lies, these people speak only with facts and real information. At this moment, their main goal is to cause short-term harm to Georgia and thereby assist the local radical opposition”, he concluded.