“We never stayed silent to Soviet Moscow, we won’t to Brussels” - Georgian Parliament Speaker defends tough tone toward European partners

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papashvili on Monday issued a firm response to international critics, asserting that the Georgian government would provide an “argumented response” to every “fictional accusation” leveled against it.

Addressing journalists’ questions regarding the government's sharp rhetoric toward European partners, Papuashvili emphasised that the administration's stance is a defensive one.

“When we are attacked, we respond. When they call us executors of Kremlin policy or pro-Russian, everyone will receive an answer. They use fictional accusations; we provide argumented responses”, the speaker said.

When challenged by a reporter on whether comparing the European Union to the Soviet Union is an appropriate form of dialogue, the speaker invoked Georgia's history of resistance. He referenced the 1978 demonstrations in Tbilisi, where Georgians successfully protested against the Soviet central government to protect the status of the Georgian language.

Papuashvili noted that if Georgians did not stay silent against “Soviet Moscow”, it would certainly not remain silent toward Brussels if it felt the nation's interests were being undermined.

“If anyone here thinks they can come, hit us, and we will remain silent, then they clearly do not know our country's history. We did not stay silent before Soviet Moscow, and we certainly will not stay silent before Brussels now. We recently commemorated the events of 1978; while every other republic wrote into their constitution that their native language was equal to others, Georgia protested this. If the likes of Juknevičienė and Kaja Kallas think they can call us pro-Russian, cast accusations at us, and we will just keep quiet, they of all people should know better - given they are from the Baltic states - that we will not remain silent”, he concluded.