Speaker Papuashvili slams EU for funding ‘fascist groups’ in Georgia

Georgia's Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has accused the European Union of using European taxpayers' money to finance people and groups he described as promoting “fascist ideology” in Georgia.

“EU and European money is being used in Georgia to finance people or groups with fascist ideology,” Papuashvili told journalists on Monday. He described this as a “civilisational divide” and said it was an issue the United States was raising with the EU.

Papuashvili cited a meeting in Bakhmaro and the financing of a political project led by opposition politician Armaz Akhvlediani as examples of what he said amounted to continued foreign support for radicalism and extremism.

The Speaker also claimed the funding demonstrated that European institutions had failed to draw lessons from previous developments and were continuing to support “radicalism, extremism and fascism” in Georgia.

His comments follow a dispute over a seminar organised by Akhvlediani. Papuashvili said last week that the project appeared to have been funded by the Council of Europe and questioned whether the funding had received the approval required under Georgian law. 

Papuashvili also accused Brussels of pursuing a destabilisation agenda in Georgia, referring to the October 4 events and alleging that European institutions had supported efforts to overthrow the government.