MEP Thierry Mariani claims EU pressure on Georgia aims at toppling its Government

Georgia has been under unprecedented media pressure from European institutions for months, a French member of the European Parliament Thierry Mariani said on Wednesday during a plenary debate on the democratic crisis in Georgia at the European Parliament.

According to Mariani, there are attempts to overthrow Georgia’s Government because it does not follow the European Commission’s warnings, defends the constitutional order, and opposes any attempts at destabilisation coming from Russia or from Europe.

“These attacks call into question the legitimacy of Tbilisi’s institutions, its judicial system, and the sovereign choice of Georgian voters. This is interference by foreign non-governmental organisations and networks, and their concerns are being echoed by the European Parliament”, Mariani said.

He referred to statements about financial support for such organisations, saying that €24 million had allegedly been allocated in recent months.

Mariani argued that this support reflects an intention to bring down the Georgian Government because it refuses to comply with the European Commission’s warnings.

“You accuse the Government of wrongdoing because it defends the constitutional order and resists all attempts at destabilization, whether from Russia or from Europe. Ultimately, if we look at who is really trying to escalate the democratic crisis, I think it would be better to look for those responsible in Brussels”, the MEP concluded.