Georgian MP says Iceland vote exposes Brussels’ "selective" approach

Levan Makashvili, chairman of the Georgian parliament’s Committee on European Integration, has criticised Brussels over what he described as a selective approach to respecting the will of voters.

Makashvili was commenting on the outcome of a referendum in Iceland, where 52.8% of participants voted against resuming negotiations on the country’s accession to the European Union, according to Georgian media, as cited by Caliber.Az.

“This vote was not a defeat for the European idea. It was a defeat for Brussels’ policy and a reminder that the European idea is based on states, rather than on what Brussels bureaucrats see from their windows,” Makashvili said.

He added that Brussels had “heard Icelanders, but not Georgians.”

Makashvili said the will of the people should be respected equally in Iceland, Switzerland and Georgia. Brussels, he argued, should respect that will “not selectively, but honestly” and apply the same principle to all three countries.

By Tamilla Hasanova