Ruling party leader slams European Parliament’s critical statement on Georgia

The leader of Georgia’s parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, has criticized the European Parliament following its statement that Georgia cannot join the European Union unless its government abandons its authoritarian course.

In a post on social media, Mdinaradze reacted to the July 19 declaration by the European Parliament, which stated that Georgia's EU accession process is effectively suspended until democratic reforms and free elections take place.

"Last year, they claimed we were the ones rejecting EU integration and fueled protests with that narrative. Now it turns out it’s actually due to our so-called 'authoritarian rule' and we must urgently change course,” Mdinaradze wrote sarcastically.

He went on to accuse European institutions of pressuring Georgia to replace its current government with one like former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s, which he referred to as the "beacon of democracy." He also mocked calls to align with Western democratic values, suggesting that they imply abandoning national identity and traditions, saying:
“We must give up our so-called ‘Georgian-national whims’ — they basically wrote that to us a few days ago.”

Mdinaradze also linked the European Parliament’s statement to a pro-European rally planned for July 19 in Tbilisi, calling it a “radical-led protest” and suggesting the Parliament’s declaration was conveniently timed to boost the demonstration:
“Despite two weeks of preparation, the protest had essentially failed — they needed something to validate it. What a remarkable coincidence, this statement.”

On July 19, the European Parliament published a post on its official X account stating:

“Georgia cannot join the EU until its government changes its authoritarian course. The European Parliament stands with the Georgian people. Parliament does not recognise Georgia’s current government and says its EU path is effectively suspended until fair elections happen.”