Georgian Parliament Speaker: EU being driven toward Soviet Union-like model

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday criticised a segment of the domestic opposition, claiming that their actions amount to “offering Georgia on a platter” to foreign interests.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Papuashvili drew parallels between some opposition figures and historical proponents of internationalist ideologies, arguing that they do not view Georgia as an independent state.

“If you had asked Sergo Ordzhonikidze, he would have said he was doing good for Georgia. The problem was that Georgia did not exist for him as a state. He saw Georgia as part of the Communist International, where people are united for a common good”, the Speaker said.

He further added that opposition politicians including Giga Bokeria, Gigi Tsereteli, and Zurab Japaridze prioritise what he described as a “liberal international” over national identity.

“They believe in a liberal international where peoples should live happily together. Which flag you hold, which anthem you sing, and which slogan you promote are merely signs of belonging to a diluted identity, similar to what we experienced in the Soviet Union”, the Speaker continued.

Papuashvili further argued that the European Union is being pushed toward a model resembling the Soviet Union, claiming that Brussels is replacing national identities with a common ideology.

“This is exactly what we are talking about, that the European Union is being pushed towards the Soviet Union. This is how the Soviet Union was created, when identities were merged into a common ideology, and today Brussels is doing this in the European Union. The biggest lie they tell is that diversity is unity, when in reality this is forcing one general line on different nations”, he continued.

Papuashvili also responded to opposition leader Giga Bokeria's statement that Iran's network of influence was spreading in the country.

“They are dragging the European Union toward the Soviet Union. This is how the Soviet Union was created - when identities were dissolved into a common ideology, and today, Brussels is doing the same in the EU. The biggest lie they tell is that it is ‘unity in diversity’; in reality, it is forcing a single general line onto different nations”, the Speaker concluded.