The European Union’s Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, on Friday condemned what he described as a troubling trend among high-ranking Georgian officials and the ruling party, accusing them of competing to undermine and insult the EU.
His remarks come amid growing tensions between Georgia and its Western partners, particularly in the context of the adoption of controversial laws and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
In response to questions about the normalization of relations between Georgia and its partners, Herczyński said, “this is unequivocally unacceptable.” He emphasized that Georgia’s aspirations for EU membership had been hindered by decisions made within the country rather than external factors.
“Back in June of this year, the European Council decided to halt the process of Georgia’s accession to the European Union. This decision is particularly painful, especially as other countries have seen their accession processes accelerated,” he noted. Herczyński pointed out the decision to suspend Georgia’s EU accession was a direct result of actions and legislation enacted by the Georgian authorities, asserting, “The problem and the solution are here in Georgia, not in Brussels or Washington.”
The Ambassador referenced a key demand from last year’s enlargement report, which called for an end to anti-Western and anti-EU narratives in Georgia. Despite this, he observed that such disinformation has continued unabated over the past year. “I get the impression that in the last few months, there has been a competition among high-ranking officials in the Georgian government and the ruling party to see who can undermine, question, and offend the EU the most. This is absolutely unacceptable for a country that aspires to join the European Union,” Herczyński concluded.
