Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili sharply criticized what he described as a "condescending attitude" from European officials during his remarks on the European Commission's enlargement report.
Papuashvili said that the way certain European Commissioners address Georgia echoes the tone of Soviet Moscow. "We remember who had such an assessment of Georgia - Soviet Moscow, which used to outline five-year plans for us," he said. "Now they give us plans again."
He stressed that the Georgian people, not Brussels, are the ones who should evaluate the country's government. "Our main evaluator is the Georgian people. The Georgian government is evaluated by the Georgian people," he said. "Everyone should understand that the core principle of the international order is respect for the sovereignty of other nations. The instructive tone in which some European Commissioners dare to speak to the Georgian people is unacceptable."
Papuashvili also condemned comments from what he called "post-Soviet politicians" who, in his view, try to speak on behalf of Georgians. "A person elected by Estonia or a person elected by another country speaks to us, Georgians, on behalf of Georgians," he said. "What greater cynicism and disrespect for independence can there be?"
The speaker accused Brussels of adopting a confrontational stance toward Georgia and warned that Georgian citizens will deliver their own verdict on such actions. "We have our assessments regarding Brussels, and we are speaking about them openly," Papuashvili said. "Brussels has decided to act as a guardian for the Georgian people, but they will hear a well-founded assessment from us. Their current approach has moved away from European values and is drifting back toward Soviet-style attitudes."
