Putting Georgia in different situation on EU membership “wrong decision”, has increased polarisation - MEP
Sánchez Amor stressed the 2020 Parliamentary elections in Georgia had been recognised by the international community, meaning the country had a “legitimate government”. Photo: European Parliament
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Nacho Sánchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament, on Wednesday said he supported granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status immediately, claiming putting Georgia in a “different situation” from Moldova and Ukraine had been a “wrong decision” that had increased polarisation in the country’s domestic political environment.
I support the candidate status [for Georgia] now. Putting Georgia in a different situation is a wrong decision and it has increased polarisation. [...] Now we are talking about a technical government”, he said in reference to calls by some in the domestic opposition calling for an interim government that would fulfil the EU membership conditions for the country.
“Putting Georgia in a different category created more polarisation and created such a situation in the country that the issue of legitimacy of the Government was raised”, the MEP noted.
Sánchez Amor stressed the 2020 Parliamentary elections in Georgia had been recognised by the international community, meaning the country had a “legitimate government”.
We need to ensure that both the Georgian Government and the opposition sit down to solve problems, to reduce polarisation, and not to increase it”, he concluded in his comments.
German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch on Wednesday said the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status later this year were a “big challenge” for the Georgian political spectrum and noted the domestic political parties must find the “strength to cooperate” with each other.
Nacho Sánchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament, on Tuesday said the decision of the European Council to grant Georgia a status different from what Moldova and Ukraine had received was a “political mistake” and “obviously” created more polarisation in the country’s domestic political environment.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said a part of the domestic opposition had “boycotted Europe” and the implementation of the conditions outlined by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year.
Giorgi Vashadze, the leader of the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party, on Wednesday welcomed the ending of the diplomatic mission of Hubert Knirsch, the German Ambassador to Georgia, while saying he hoped working with the next head of the Embassy would be “much more interesting” for the party.
The European Commision will present a report on the priorities in the enlargement package in 2023 to give the Georgian political system “sufficient time” to “thoroughly work” on the priorities for the European Union membership candidate status, Michael Rupp, a representative of the European Commission, said on Wednesday.
Peter Stano, the spokesperson for the external affairs of the European Union, on Friday said Georgia would “get everything it had been promised” from the EU on the membership candidate status.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said the policy of the opposition United National Movement party was to “somehow harm” the country, highlighting the party’s refusal to participate in fulfilling the 12-point conditions established by the European Union for granting Georgia the membership candidate status later this year.