Georgian PM says European Commission’s report reflects “injustice, distortion, double standards” within EU bureaucracy

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday criticised the European Commission’s newly released report on Georgia, saying it reflected “injustice, distortion, and double standards” within the EU bureaucracy.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze noted that the recently published report served as the clearest evidence that fairness no longer guides European bureaucrats.

“It is deeply regrettable to witness injustice and distortion of facts on this scale from European bureaucrats. European bureaucracy is the face of the European Union, and when it behaves in this way it damages not only its own reputation but the reputation of the EU as a whole”, he said.

The Prime Minister noted that the erosion of trust in European institutions among Georgians stemmed from repeated injustices and misrepresentations of Georgia’s progress.

“The direct result is that trust - both in European bureaucrats and in the EU in general - is gradually eroding in Georgia. We still have great hope that this will change and that fairness will become the guiding star for European bureaucrats. But today that is not the case, and the report just published is the clearest proof”, he noted.

He argued that the EU’s treatment of Georgia was marked by double standards and politically motivated judgments, which harm both Georgia’s aspirations and the EU’s own credibility.

“The same double standards appear when it comes to sanctions against Russia and Ukraine’s expressed concerns. We never hear Ukraine voicing similar worries about Moldova or any other candidate country that has also refused to join those sanctions. All of these points to double standards, to injustice, and to serious problems inside the European bureaucracy. Let me repeat: we have different expectations, and we believe that, in the end, all of this will change”, he said.

While expressing regret over the current situation, Kobakhidze reaffirmed Georgia’s strategic goal of becoming an EU member by 2030.

“We want to become an EU member state by 2030, and I hope that by then the situation inside the EU will have changed radically. Today, the work of European bureaucracy has sunk to the level of Soviet standards - which is both deeply regrettable and profoundly sad”, the Prime Minister concluded.