Kaja Kallas’s stance on Georgian government ‘anti-democratic,’ Speaker Papuashvili

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has described EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’s statement that the bloc wants to support the Georgian people but not their government as "anti-democratic," accusing her of disrespecting Georgia’s sovereignty and the choice of Georgian voters.

"Anyone who uses the formula, ‘supports the Georgian people but does not support their government,’ first and foremost does not recognise democracy and is therefore anti-democratic. Accordingly, Kaja Kallas’s statement is anti-democratic," Papuashvili said.

According to the parliament speaker, Kallas does not respect the sovereignty of the Georgian people or their right to choose their own government.

He claimed that her statement implied that Georgians were an "incapable crowd" unable to choose their own government without external guidance.

Papuashvili also accused Kallas of being detached from European values and lacking an understanding of democracy, arguing that it was dangerous for the EU to be represented in foreign affairs by someone with what he described as an anti-democratic mindset.

He further claimed that the US Secretary of State does not meet Kallas or involve her in significant international dialogue and said reforms to the EU’s foreign policy structures were being planned partly because of her role in what he called the bloc’s "reckless foreign policy."

"We always refrain from making critical comments, but whenever any representative of Brussels attacks the Georgian people, there will be an appropriate response," Papuashvili said.

Kallas had said the EU faced "certain difficulties" regarding Georgia, adding that the bloc had little contact with the government and wanted to support the Georgian people rather than the authorities.