Georgian Parliament Speaker casts doubt on shared values with some European politicians, slams European Parliament standards

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday sharply criticised the European Parliament, questioning the shared values between Georgia and some European politicians.

Commenting on recent developments involving Georgian broadcasters and European Parliament decisions, Papuashvili expressed concern over what he described as pressure on journalists and restrictions on media freedom.

“I am increasingly asking myself what we actually have in common with politicians and people of such values. Georgian values, as well as democracy, stand several levels higher than what we see in the European Parliament”, Papuashvili said.

Responding to a question from a journalist from Rustavi 2 regarding the broadcaster’s attempt to appeal a European Parliament decision affecting three television companies, Papuashvili described the case as an example of what he called pressure on journalists and attempts to silence free speech.

Papuashvili also accused the European Parliament of inconsistency, referring to corruption and hostile rhetoric, and said the institution was undergoing what he described as a “final stage of Sovietisation”. He compared it to Soviet-era political structures, suggesting that some Eastern European post-socialist politicians had contributed to this transformation.