German Ambassador slams Georgian Government’s “unprecedented shift” in political rhetoric, legal changes

German Ambassador Peter Fischer has expressed concern over the recent changes in the Georgian government’s rhetoric and legislative actions, which he claimed had altered the policies of EU member states towards Georgia and halted its EU accession process.

Speaking at the international conference Enlargement of the European Union – Geopolitical Need and Further Steps for EU Candidate Countries, Ambassador Fischer emphasized on Wednesday that the European Union represented “a space of democracy and the rule of law.” He noted that the opportunity for Georgia to join the space emerged after Russia’s attack on Ukraine but warned, “the window can be closed again. Windows cannot be open all the time. Because this is a political process. Politics is changing.”

“Do not miss this historic opportunity to join the party of global peace because that is what the EU stands for,” Fischer urged.

The ambassador highlighted the “unprecedented change” in political rhetoric in Georgia, stating, “I have never witnessed such an evolution. 

There are some objective facts that are not mandatory to list, but the transparency law clearly contradicts European standards. The legislative acts are not very compatible with our partnership relationship. If the government chooses this unacceptable rhetoric, relations will change.”

Fischer also addressed the deteriorating perception of international partners and said “somehow, Germany, the European Union, even the US, from being the best friends and strong supporters for 30 years, are now surprisingly seen as dangerous. Sometimes they call us fascists, terrorists. Such rhetoric destroys the partnership.”

The diplomat stressed the European Council, consisting of leaders from 27 EU member states, had decided to suspend Georgia’s accession process. 

“Now this is the policy of the European Union”, he noted. 

The Ambassador stressed that, alongside the US, Germany was one of the largest donors to Georgia’s development cooperation. However, new financial commitments were currently on hold, and existing ones were under review. “We have decided not to make new commitments to Georgia at the moment. We will also review the current portfolio. It is necessary to repeat that the aid is directed to the state of Georgia. I do not have exact numbers, but it is about 10-15 percent. The German military canceled the participation in the Noble Partner exercises. We have a long history of cooperation in the legal field. We canceled the big legal forum that was to be held in Tbilisi this summer.”

EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, announced on Tuesday that the European Union had suspended aid amounting to 30 million euros allocated for strengthening Georgia’s defense. On June 27, the European Council expressed concern about developments in Georgia, particularly the approval of the controversial foreign influence transparency law, which the Commission viewed as a setback in relation to the recommendations for candidate status. 

In May, the ruling party Georgian Dream, with the help of several opposition MPs, passed the law with 85 votes. Thousands protested the adoption of this bill, and partner countries urged the Georgian government to reject it, arguing it would hinder the country’s European integration.

Despite warnings from partners and sanctions from the US on those responsible for “undermining democracy in Georgia,” the ruling party maintained that the law would bring the country closer to the European Union.

Additionally, on July 5, it was revealed that the United States had “indefinitely postponed” the planned Noble Partner military exercises with Georgia, which have been held since 2016, as part of the review of relations with Georgia. The US Department of Defense attributed this decision to Georgia’s “false accusations against the United States and other Western entities.”