Georgian Parliament Speaker slams German Government over disrespect for sovereignty

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday strongly criticised the German government, accusing it of undermining Georgia’s sovereignty and failing to respect the country’s democratic choices.

Speaking to journalists, Papuashvili said that even the German foreign ministry’s website should not be in a position to determine who holds leadership positions in Georgia.

He argued that such actions reflect a perception of Georgians as “second-class” citizens, without the right to define their own government.

“This confusion and political games must stop”, Papuashvili stated. “It is clear what we are dealing with. The German government does not recognize the sovereignty of Georgia and the right of the Georgian people to elect their own government. It does not recognize our democratic right to determine our leadership”.

He further claimed that Germany, once a supporter of Georgia’s independence, is now acting in a way that undermines that independence and disrespects the dignity of the Georgian people.

“This means that the German government views the Georgian people as second-class citizens who lack the ability or the right to determine for themselves who their government is. Instead, it is the website of the German foreign ministry that should determine who our country’s President or Foreign Minister is. Of course, this is a great shame. Germany still has the opportunity to show us whether it is committed to democracy and a democratic Europe, or if it is returning to its dark past by failing to recognize the sovereignty of other countries, the sovereignty of other nations, and the dignity of other peoples to determine their own destiny and government”, he continued.

The Speaker also welcomed diplomatic steps taken by Georgia’s foreign ministry and suggested that regular diplomatic notes should be sent to Berlin regarding the issue. He emphasized that Georgia would not accept what he described as interference in its sovereignty.