PM Kobakhidze slams European Parliament over media freedom

Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, has accused the European Parliament of undermining media freedom, saying the institution was beginning to resemble the Supreme Soviet of the former Soviet Union.

The comment came following the European Parliament’s decision to suspend accreditation and filming access for the pro-government Georgian broadcaster Imedi TV for one year.  

Speaking to the press on Friday, Kobakhidze said European institutions were “practically losing their credibility” and criticised what he described as recent decisions affecting media freedom.

“What began in Britain has now been continued by the European Parliament,” he said. “This is completely shameful and falls outside any accepted standards. Media freedom means nothing to the European Parliament.”

The PM added that he believed some European politicians involved in such initiatives demonstrated what he described as “Soviet-style approaches”.

“We are witnessing a tragic situation,” Kobakhidze said. “I hope that this will be corrected in the near future.”

He also claimed that certain European politicians promoting such initiatives had “questionable reputations” and argued that developments within the European Parliament reflected what he called a broader institutional decline.