MEP Tomasz Froelich calls on EU to stop “interfering in Georgia’s affairs”

Tomasz Froelich, a member of the European Parliament from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, on Wednesday said the European Union should stop interfering in Georgia’s internal affairs and respect the country’s sovereignty.

Speaking to Imedi TV ahead of a debate on Georgia scheduled in the European Parliament, Froelich criticised what he described as the EU’s involvement in the country’s domestic politics.

“We must stop interfering in Georgia’s affairs because it is not our business. My party and I fully respect Georgia’s sovereignty. The European Union, however, does not respect it, because it does not support the policies implemented by the Georgian government”, he said.

The MEP noted that the values promoted by the ruling Georgian Dream party - such as the protection of traditional family structures and cultural heritage - were unpopular among European political elites.

“These values include protecting traditional family values and Georgia’s cultural heritage. I repeat that we should not interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs. The biggest threat and problem to Georgia’s national sovereignty is NGOs funded by foreign countries. They have caused problems in the past and continue to do so today”, Froelich stressed.

He further suggested that the situation on the streets of Georgia was often misrepresented to European audiences.

“European citizens should know what is happening on the streets of Georgia. The protests are described as peaceful, but there has been violence against the police and damage to government buildings. People do not know this, and I believe the narrative that everything is fine and that this is an organic protest is a mistaken narrative promoted by the European elite”, the MEP noted.

In addition, Froelich rejected accusations against the Georgian Dream government, describing them as based on misinformation.

“None of this is organic, because these processes are supported by foreign actors. All accusations against Georgian Dream are based on fake news. It is enough to look at the reports of international analytical centers and organizations, and you will see that Georgia is ahead of many EU member states in terms of the rule of law. Reliable sources confirm this”, he concluded.