Georgian PM: visa liberalisation threat has lost all power, society thinks pragmatically

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said that while the EU visa liberalisation was once a politically sensitive issue, today it has effectively lost all political relevance.

In his interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Kobakhidze noted that even the latest attempt to use visa liberalisation as a form of pressure cannot artificially provoke a revolution in the country, as the Georgian public approaches all decisions made by European bureaucrats pragmatically and with clear judgment.

“In the interests of both the Government and the public, we want citizens to have comfort and not face inconvenience, such as waiting in long visa lines. However, all instruments of coercion have been overused to the point of ineffectiveness. Even the potential suspension of visa liberalisation no longer carries any real leverage”, the PM said.

“I hope it is clear that even this last attempt at pressure will not artificially spark a revolution in our country, because the public thinks rationally and pragmatically about every decision unfairly imposed by European bureaucracy. Considering all this, I believe that European authorities will not make an unwise decision. Even if, theoretically, such a decision were made, it would not provoke a revolution and, in the end, would strip them of the last remaining tool for blackmail against the Georgian people. I expect European bureaucracy to lean toward a more pragmatic choice in this matter”, he concluded.