Opposition sees EU candidate status as “tool for own political struggle” - Parliament official

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee in the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday said a part of domestic opposition parties was using developments related to the country’s European Union membership candidate status as a “tool for their own political struggle and nothing more”.

In comments on the latest report by the Co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for work in Georgia, the lawmaker stressed the document had made calls both for the Government and the opposition to take actions to depolarise the political environment in the country. 

She stressed the authors of the report had urged all domestic political players to “act based on state interests” and its European aspirations instead of their “narrow, political goals”.

Unfortunately, the opposition sees the country’s European integration process and the bloc’s membership candidate status as a tool for its own political struggle and nothing more”, Botchorishvili noted. 

The MP added the country’s authorities had taken “all steps” for the implementation of the 12 conditions outlined by the bloc last year for granting it the membership candidate status. 

• Gov’t “doing its best” to advance Georgia on EU path - Parliament Committee Chair

Responding to specific recommendations in the PACE report, Bochorishvili highlighted the importance of adopting corresponding laws to meet them. 

Published on Monday, following the visit of a PACE delegation to Georgia between March 27-29, the report said Georgia was “at a crossroads on its path to European Integration”. 

We urge the Georgian authorities and all political forces to overcome their extreme animosity and polarisation, to set aside narrow party interests, and to jointly work with all stakeholders to implement the 12 priority areas for reform outlined by the European Commission in order for the country to obtain EU candidate status”, said the Co-rapporteurs.

The report also highlighted the need for continuing the reform of the judiciary, with a view to ensuring its role as a “genuinely independent and impartial arbiter”.