Georgian PM accuses EU bureaucracy of ‘unfair’ approach, double standards

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has criticized what he called “collective EU bureaucracy,” accusing officials in Brussels of attempting to support a change of government in Georgia and of applying double standards in relations with Tbilisi.

Speaking to Georgian journalists during a visit to China, Kobakhidze said it was currently “very difficult” to expect progress in EU-Georgia relations.

“They are still focused on ways to return the radical opposition to power,” he claimed. “In such circumstances, even thinking about a breakthrough is difficult.”

Kobakhidze expressed hope that the attitude of EU institutions toward the Georgian people and their elected government would eventually change:

“We hope that European bureaucracy will recognize fairness as a guiding principle in the future. Today this is unfortunately not the case - the latest report clearly demonstrates that.”

The Prime Minister said Georgia remained committed to joining the European Union by 2030, but warned that the EU’s approach risked damaging its own reputation.

“Such large-scale injustice and distortion of facts harms not only the reputation of European bureaucracy but also the EU itself,” Kobakhidze said in Shanghai. “As a result, trust toward the EU is gradually decreasing in Georgia.”

Kobakhidze also accused the EU of “double standards,” noting that other candidate countries had not joined sanctions against Russia while avoiding criticism similar to that directed at Georgia. He described the current conduct of EU officials as having “fallen to the level of Soviet standards.”