Ruling party head: “radical” opposition irritated by EU commissioner’s “promising” messages on European integration

Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said messages delivered by Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, in his visit to Georgia this week were “promising” for Georgia’s European integration process, a development he said “irritated” the domestic “radical” opposition.

In his remarks over the matter, Kobakhidze noted the “only goal” of the opposition was to prevent the country from receiving the EU membership candidate status.

Oliver Varhelyi's visit [and his] positive messages were of particular importance. If we want to receive EU membership the candidate status, first of all, we have to listen to the European commissioner for enlargement. He came with positive messages, and look what irritation has followed his positive messages”, the GD official said.

“Varhelyi's messages are promising in the sense that we can receive the candidate status more easily, and all this has led to irritation from the radical opposition. They could not hide that their only goal is to prevent Georgia from receiving the candidate status”, he concluded.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the parliament, on Wednesday said the “negative reactions” of some domestic opposition groups over the recent visit and “positive comments” of Varhelyi on Georgia’s progress on its EU path “once again proved they are fighting against the country’s European integration”.