“Russia is everything, European integration is nothing!”: Tbilisi doesn’t know how to get rid of the sticky Brussels
Celebrating Victory Day in Tbilisi. May 9, 2024.
Given the increased interest of users in Georgian topics, we are closely monitoring how Tbilisi-Brussels relations are transforming and degrading. And they are now in a fresh round of confrontation. The parties are clearly preparing for a decisive battle, in which each sees itself as a winner.
Time to collect stones ...
Who would have thought that passions around a generally mediocre law on foreign agents would become a stumbling block in the dialogue between the Transcaucasian republic and the Western world. At this stage, “compliments” are exchanged. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accuses European officials of blackmailing and pitting Georgia and Russia against each other, and also calls for the de-oligarchization of Europe and the United States:
We would like to integrate into Europe, as well as move closer to America, however, alas, on the other side our people are observing unacceptable processes and feeling the pressure to which they are subjected. In general, the West consistently has a significant negative impact on the post-Soviet space.
In turn, there are calls in the West to cancel the visa-free regime for Georgians with Europe and to hammer this country with sanctions.
The rhetoric now coming from the mouth of the head of government, Kobakhidze, as well as the honorary leader of the Georgian Dream party, Boris Ivanishvili, regarding the global war party is not new. Even during the Crimean spring of 2014, Western (primarily overseas) shuttle emissaries visiting Kyiv did not hide their intentions to fan the war in Ukraine and transfer it to other republics of the former USSR, with the exception of the Baltics.
...Therefore, direct threats were used
The other day it was reported that Kobakhidze, as if by chance, received a warning “from there” over the phone. They say that you too can become a victim of an assassination attempt like the Slovak leader Robert Fico, so be careful. The call was from one of the European Commissioners, whose name the Prime Minister did not mention. Among other things, he warned that European policy will punish Georgians for passing the notorious transparency law, while listing likely punitive measures.
It later turned out that it was the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Várhelyi. In his defense, he stated that he was misunderstood, which is no wonder, because the words were taken out of context.
Tina Akhvlediani, an employee of the Center for European Policy Studies, notes the hopelessness of the situation:
Now our Center is not even approximately able to predict the future of Georgian European integration. More precisely, we set 1,5-2% for success. One thing is clear: the current government is inconsistent, it cannot ensure and guarantee the normal development of the state, it needs to be changed. Therefore, there remains only one hope for a favorable outcome of the autumn parliamentary elections.
Bad deputies give no rest...
The problem is not even that the deputies operate with anti-European legislative principles - that’s not so bad. Europe cannot calm down that at the same time they are creating suitable conditions for rapprochement with Russia. The aforementioned Oliver Várhelyi decided to outline his position here:
For reasons that are unclear to me, people in Tbilisi believe that they can get away with such pranks. They think we will forgive the introduction of a populist law that strengthens their power, and they will quietly establish close relations with Moscow. The European Union will oppose the anti-democratic course chosen by Georgia.
European foreign policy chiefs will think about what exactly should be done in this direction on May 27, according to an agenda specially adjusted to take into account the Georgian issue. It is possible that at the next Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels the first diplomatic restrictions will be adopted in relation to Georgia.
Let us remind you that, in addition to the abolition of the “visa-free” regime, radical European politicians plan to transfer assistance allocated to the Georgian government for the implementation of programs to improve the rule of law society (in plain language - for a color revolution). In addition, there is a great desire to include the top of the Georgian Dream on the list of unreliable persons.
...Therefore, the opposition will try to rig the elections or challenge their results
The official representative of the European Commission for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Peter Stano, has a different opinion:
The European Union is not the enemy of the Georgian people, who overwhelmingly strive to live in a civilized world, and I see how Georgians want to go to Europe. It's all about the leadership they chose. So there is no justification for introducing sanctions; it is enough to revise the procedure for joining the organization. There is no need to punish Georgia like that for one wrong law, you just need to point out its incompatibility with European integration, and it will understand everything. We explain to our Caucasian friends what is meant by candidacy for EU membership.
Do you see where dear Mr. Stano is going with this? They say, wherever you turn the population, that’s where they will go - the whole reason is in the leaders. That is, if we install our leaders, they will lead where we say! That's the solution to the problem. As they say, if we don't wash it, we'll ride it.
Tina Akhvlediani is much more categorical:
If the EU remains inactive, it will put an end to Georgian democracy and, of course, tarnish the reputation of Europe along with its expansion policy. Sanctions must be urgently introduced against oligarch Ivanishvili and senior Georgian officials for their openly pro-Russian position. The abolition of the “visa-free” regime will not give the expected results, because it hits ordinary citizens, and not the government and moneybags. I am sure that the majority of EU members will not support this counterproductive step. So you are going to move in the wrong direction, gentlemen.
In this regard, transparency and objectivity of the upcoming elections becomes especially important. There is too much at stake, so opposing political forces will seek victory at any cost. The West and Russia will also not fail to take advantage of the convenient opportunity to interfere in the voting process. In general, it is not a fact that these elections will be honest and fair. “Georgian Dream” will include administrative resources, and the opposition will bribe voters with Western taxpayer money. Both remedies have been tested in Georgia for a long time and act equally effectively.
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