Georgian PM, ruling party Sec-Gen condemn EP resolution as ‘shameful’

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and ruling party Secretary-General Kakha Kaladze have criticised the latest resolution adopted by the European Parliament, calling it “shameful” and accusing European institutions of undermining their own credibility.

The resolution adopted this week condemned the Georgian government’s “democratic backsliding” and raised the possibility of sanctions. 

“This is the seventh shameful resolution of the European Parliament. It is very regrettable and discredits European institutions in Georgia,” said Kobakhidze, speaking to reporters on Thursday. “According to recent European studies, trust in these institutions among the Georgian public has dropped by about 20 percent. It is absolutely shameful to blackmail the Georgian people simply because the collective ‘National Movement’ did not return to power.”

Kakha Kaladze, who is also the mayor of Tbilisi, accused the European Parliament of “spreading disinformation and abandoning core European values.”

“Today’s Europe is practically devoid of justice and the basic principles that are important to us,” Kaladze said. “These resolutions are filled with lies. We’ve seen how they are written - often for money. When they tell us that Mikheil Saakashvili [the jailed former President] should be released, despite his convictions and admission of guilt, it becomes clear how detached from reality these statements are.”

Kaladze also accused some EU officials and embassies of “inciting unrest” in Georgia, referring to recent anti-government protests.

“It is very serious when high-ranking officials or embassy representatives incite actions that lead to institutional collapse,” he said. “Throwing Molotov cocktails, attacking police - and then having that behaviour justified or encouraged from abroad - is unacceptable.”