Georgian parliament speaker blasts opposition for fabricating EU aid claims

Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, has accused the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party of misleading Georgian voters by falsely claiming that the European Union (EU) will provide Georgia with 14 billion euros in aid.

Papuashvili's comments were reported by Georgian media and refer to recent statements made by UNM Chairman Tina Bokuchava, per Caliber.Az.

Bokuchava alleged that Georgia’s prospects for European integration have been stalled under the current government. She claimed that the EU had frozen Georgia’s accession process and denied access to the purported 14 billion euro fund, which would only become available once Georgia progresses to EU accession negotiations.

In response, Papuashvili dismissed these claims as false, stating, “It is a common lie to suggest that someone is giving Georgia 14 billion euros. Today, I also saw information about how a representative of the ‘National Movement’ is directly distributing this 14 billion euros. They are dividing the skin of an unkilled bear.”

He criticized the opposition for focusing on bribing the Georgian electorate, accusing them of turning Europe into a "cash register" for political gain.