Georgian parliament speaker accuses EU of interference in open letter

The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has sharply criticised the European Union’s policies toward Georgia in an open letter addressed to EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński.

In the letter, Papuashvili accused the EU of deepening divisions and interfering in Georgia’s domestic affairs, while also criticising the ambassador’s previous Europe Day message to the Georgian people, Caliber.Az reports via Georgian media. 

“Unlike Robert Schuman, in your Europe Day message to the Georgian people last year, you chose to ignore the anniversary of the end of World War II, and instead, concentrate on your political grievances towards your host nation,” Papuashvili wrote.

He added that the defeat of fascism by anti-fascist nations, including Georgians, had made modern Europe and the European Union possible.

The Georgian parliamentary speaker also argued that current EU policies contradict the principles of unity outlined in the Schuman Declaration.

“Current EU policies leave no space for any interpretation other than that they are aimed at deepening the divisions and widening the disagreements,” he said, citing European Parliament resolutions, threats of political and economic pressure, and what he described as “permanent interference” in Georgia’s internal affairs.

Papuashvili further accused Brussels of pursuing policies based on “false and invented ideologies” and attempting to impose a “political and ideological straitjacket” on Georgia during its European integration process.

At the same time, he stressed that Georgia considers itself inherently part of Europe.

“Georgia is the co-creator of the European civilisation, and, therefore, wherever Georgia is, there is Europe too,” he wrote.

Papuashvili said that European integration should be based on equality and the restoration of historical ties with European nations, rather than what he described as Brussels’ “unilateral assumption of suzerainty” over Georgia.

By Sabina Mammadli