Georgian PM: Georgia seeks membership in European Union that adheres to its founding principles

Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday questioned whether Georgia should seek membership in the European Union if it reflects what he described as recent developments seen in Denmark, arguing that such a direction would not align with Georgia’s interests.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Kobakhidze noted that Georgia wants to be part of a European Union that returns to the values on which it was originally founded.

“If the EU is like the one we saw in the Denmark example, then what would we even be doing in such a European Union?” he said.

The prime minister criticised what he described as the response of European diplomatic representatives, including the German ambassador, arguing that such actions “cannot be justified” if peaceful protesters are dispersed with force.

He stated that Georgia seeks membership in a “different European Union”, one that, in his view, adheres to its founding principles rather than its current trajectory.

“When the German ambassador holds such a European Union over our heads, this, of course, cannot be justified in any way. We want a different kind of European Union. No one can hold such a European Union over our heads - one where peaceful protestors are dealt with using dogs. The German ambassador, this specific individual, cannot hold this over our heads. We want membership in a European Union that returns to the values upon which it was originally founded”, Kobakhidze said.