President accuses gov’t of “doing bad job” amid country’s bid for EU membership

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili accused the Georgian Dream authorities of “doing a bad job and affecting the country’s prospects for EU membership” ahead of the upcoming EU summit which will decide on the candidate status for Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

 

In a special briefing on Tuesday, Zourabichvili suggested that the “key responsibility” would be placed on the country’s government if Georgia failed to receive the status at the end of this month.

 

She said that Georgia seemed “isolated” amid its bid for membership on March 3.

 

“There is a danger of isolation. The isolation that we have created is a much bigger and more real threat than the so-called opening of the second front in Georgia. The opposition, or rather its radical wing, has obviously played a damaging role in the process, but we also have a constructive and pro-European opposition. No matter how harsh, unfair and destructive the actions of the opposition was, first of all, in Brussels, the responsibility for the current situation lies with the government and no one can redistribute it onto others, because the government is one,” Zourabichvili stated.

 

She said that Georgia [the government and the ruling party representatives] have “annoyed MEPs and European institutions.”

 

 

“Moldova was able to do what we seem to be struggling with – it was able to remain silent and work in all European capitals. We have not done this. Clearly, this raises questions about our political will and readiness [for EU membership],” Zourabichvili started.

 

 

“Georgia has moved from the leading country in the Associated Trio to the last place,” she noted.

 

Zourabichvili suggested that the recent critical resolution of the European Parliament over Georgia, including the section on the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili “which came with factual inaccuracies and unsubstantiated allegations,” was the result of insufficient communication with MEPs.

 

She offered the public to gather in central Tbilisi on June 16 “to show Europe our unity and strong desire for integration.”