Georgian Parliamentary Majority Leader Accuses EU of Blackmail Over Visa-Free Travel

Georgia’s parliamentary majority leader, Irakli Kirtskhalia, has accused European Union officials of attempting to pressure the country through threats concerning its visa-free travel arrangements, insisting that Georgians would not sacrifice national sovereignty and independence in exchange for access to the Schengen Area.

Speaking on the television programme Imedi LIVE, Kirtskhalia criticised what he described as repeated warnings and deadlines issued by European officials, arguing that Georgian voters had already rejected such pressure through successive elections.

“How many more times must we witness this over the years? Our society has already made it clear that it will not submit to their blackmail,” Kirtskhalia said.

He questioned the EU’s approach towards Georgia, particularly statements suggesting that the country’s situation would be reviewed within specific timeframes.

“They say they will return to the issue in two months, that they will seriously reconsider our case. What exactly are they talking about? What are they going to review? And how can anyone dare to address an independent, sovereign country in such a tone?” he said.

Kirtskhalia argued that the Georgian public had repeatedly demonstrated its position at the ballot box, prioritising national independence over what he described as political pressure from Brussels.

“Our society made its decision long ago regarding this much-discussed visa issue. Despite these attacks, deadlines and statements, people have expressed their position in every election: the sovereignty and independence of their country cannot be traded for visa-free travel,” he said.

The parliamentary majority leader also accused domestic opposition parties of supporting the EU’s approach, describing them as political forces acting in coordination with external interests.

He criticised what he called a pattern of setting deadlines and issuing warnings, accusing both European officials and their political allies in Georgia of repeatedly following the same approach.

“They have become specialists in setting dates, both those abroad and their accomplices here, regardless of their party numbers or colours,” Kirtskhalia said, referring to opposition political groups.

He further argued that the repeated warnings demonstrated a lack of new political ideas.

“They follow such predictable scripts that they probably no longer care, or perhaps simply have no time to come up with anything creative. You will not find creativity among agents. They have exhausted it,” he said.