Georgia’s Speaker rejects candidate status suspension talks amid MEP controversy

Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament, on Wednesday dismissed any notion of suspending Georgia’s candidate status Tbilisi obtained last year, emphasizing that the European Commission had explicitly advised disregarding the concerns raised by certain Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

Papuashvili underscored that the decision regarding Georgia’s candidacy was not within the purview of European Parliamentarians. 

 

“Therefore, their opinions should hold no weight, especially considering doubts about their trustworthiness and motives,” he noted.

He went on to assert that the probability of Georgia losing its candidate status was nonexistent, citing multiple reasons. “When certain MEPs demanded the release of Saakashvili [the former Georgian President]as a precondition for candidacy, and later proposed sanctions against Russia, neither condition was met, yet our candidate status was granted,” Papuashvili stated. 

Papuashvili also revealed that the resolutions concerning Georgia by MEPs, calling for actions against Georgia to force the GD reject its foreign transparency bill, had been crafted by lobbyists hired by the United National Movement opposition, the party founded by Saakashvili and in power between 2004-2012. 

“Evidence suggests that these lobbyists influenced the content of the resolutions submitted to the European Parliament,” he remarked. 

 

“Given these indications of political manipulation, it’s imperative not to trust their assertions. Their statements merely echo the agenda of the UNM leadership”. 

Papuashvili concluded by emphasizing the European Commission’s stance on MEPs’ statements and actions, noting that they represent individual political activities. “Especially with upcoming elections, the fate of these parliamentarians within the European Parliament remains uncertain,” he added.