Prime Minister: European Parliament resolution is a disgrace and blackmail of the Georgian people

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament is shameful and an attempt to blackmail the Georgian people for refusing to return the collective “National Movement” to power, said Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

The resolution states that the European Parliament does not recognize the Georgian Dream government and contains demands for the release of convicted former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, the holding of new parliamentary elections, and the recognition of Salome Zurabishvili as the legitimate representative of Georgia's legal authorities.

“This is yet another, if I am not mistaken, the seventh, absolutely shameful resolution of the European Parliament. I believe that the entire European Union bureaucracy should take responsibility for this. This is not only a shameful step by the European Parliament — in my opinion, the entire European bureaucracy should be held responsible for this,” Kobakhidze said.

According to the head of the Georgian government, it is very shameful to blackmail the Georgian people just because they did not return the collective “National Movement” to power. As the prime minister noted, European bureaucrats should feel responsible, including for the fact that in 2004-2012 they gave the green light to the former authorities regarding the most serious crimes they committed.

“Torture, racketeering, seizure of television channels, transfer of territories... For all this, the Saakashvili regime and the National Movement received the green light from the very same bureaucrats, from the post-Soviet politicians who today speak shameful language and adopt shameful resolutions,” Kobakhidze said.

According to the prime minister, the actions of European structures, including the adoption of resolutions and blackmail against the Georgian people, undermine trust in European institutions in Georgia. He noted that, according to European studies, the level of trust in these structures has decreased by about 20%, and urged people not to be surprised by this in a situation where the Georgian people are being subjected to shameful pressure for their political choice.

What the resolution says

In the resolution, the European Parliament reaffirms its solidarity with the Georgian people and its unwavering support for their legitimate European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations and their desire to live in a prosperous and democratic country.

In addition, the European Parliament calls the recent arrests of opposition politicians in Georgia “politically motivated” and “without sufficient legal grounds” and demands that the Georgian authorities refrain from using force, respect freedom of assembly and expression, and repeal recently adopted legislation aimed at “suppressing” popular protests, in particular through excessive fines.

The European Parliament also expresses particular concern about the growing number of “political” prisoners and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

Finally, the European Parliament deeply regrets that the ruling Georgian Dream party has failed to seize the historic opportunity offered to Georgia as a candidate country to advance on the path of European integration.

At the same time, the resolution states that under the Georgian Dream government, the country has not moved forward, but has in fact regressed in relation to the key provisions of the nine steps that the European Commission has defined for the country on its path to EU integration.

The European Parliament emphasizes the need for an immediate and comprehensive audit of EU policy towards Georgia in light of the “ongoing democratic backsliding” and the increasingly “repressive political and legislative environment” and calls on the Commission to review the implementation of the Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia.

The resolution names for the first time the leaders of the ruling party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, Shalva Papuashvili, Vakhtang Gomelauri, Kakha Kaladze, and Irakli Garibashvili, as responsible for the deterioration of the political process in Georgia by promoting the rollback of democracy. The European Parliament calls for the introduction of personal sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family members, and his companies.

According to the European Parliament, the policy of not recognizing the legitimacy of the one-party parliament and its appointed president, Mikheil Kavelashvili, should continue until there are tangible changes in Georgia's political course and new free and fair parliamentary elections are held.

The resolution calls on EU representatives and member states, as well as MEPs, to refrain from meeting with “representatives of the regime.” It recognizes Salome Zurabishvili as the legitimate president of Georgia and representative of the Georgian people.

Paradoxically, the European Parliament still calls on the opposition to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the upcoming local elections to reflect the unity of the Georgian people in favor of democracy and the rule of law, as was already demonstrated during the “peaceful protests” in November-December 2024.

Reprinted from https://sputnik-georgia.ru/