Georgia’s ruling party official slams German Ambassador, calls him “flaw of diplomacy”

Irakli Kirtskhalia, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, on Wednesday sharply criticised Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to Georgia, calling him “a flaw of diplomacy” and “a flaw of Germany's presence in Georgia”.

The controversy stems from recent inaccuracies found on the German foreign ministry's website, which listed Salome Zourabichvili as the current president and Ilia Darchiashvili -n now the Ambassador to the UK - as the foreign minister. While ambassador Fischer referred to these errors as technical "flaws", Kirtskhalia rejected the explanation, turning the term against the diplomat personally.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Kirtskhalia accused the ambassador of acting as a mouthpiece for “Brussels bureaucrats” and “deep state” politicians.

“Regarding the German ambassador and this much-discussed issue, if I’m not mistaken, on the German foreign ministry’s website they still recognise Salome Zourabichvili as president and list our ambassador to the United Kingdom as foreign minister. And what does the German ambassador say here? That this is a technical flaw. I would say that this person himself is a flaw of diplomacy and Germany’s presence in Georgia”, he said.

The official stressed that the ruling Georgian Dream party and Georgian society have the legitimacy of an electoral majority and therefore have the right to criticise messages delivered by foreign diplomats.

Kirtskhalia further criticised Fischer over several previous actions and statements, including his attendance at a court hearing without an interpreter, meetings held at the embassy with opposition-linked representatives, and comments related to anti-government protests.

Kirtskhalia also referred to imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his party, criticising what he described as support for opposition figures and activists.

“The biggest flaw is the ambassador himself, who makes and voices these statements. This person is Germany’s flaw”, the official concluded.