Ruling party official: MEP comment separating Georgian Gov’t from people “very harmful”
In his response, the Parliament official said the country “and we all together deserve candidate status”. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
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Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday criticised a comment by Viola von Cramon, a member of the European Parliament, on the European Union candidate status for Georgia by saying separating the country’s Government from its people was “very harmful”.
Mdinaradze’s comment followed von Cramon saying on Monday “if the European Union grants Georgia the membership candidate status, it will happen because the Georgian people deserve it and geopolitical logic demands it”.
In his response, the Parliament official said the country “and we all together deserve candidate status”.
“This was confirmed by the criteria published by the European Union itself, and, given the current situation, Georgia deserves the candidate status even more than others”, Mdinaradze added.
The Georgian Government represents the Georgian people, our country today. Separating it [from them] with Russian methods is very harmful, including for Viola [von Cramon] and her partners in Georgia”, he concluded.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Wednesday rejected claims by domestic opposition groups and civil sector that the party had plans to back a potential bill banning “LGBT propaganda” and hampering the country’s European integration.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Monday said the European Union had no information or evidence of Georgia assisting circumvention of the bloc’s sanctions imposed on Russia following the latter’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday claimed the credibility and political support for the domestic opposition had been “diminished to zero”, following a round of elections and by-elections in 10 municipalities across the country.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said “if Georgia does not receive the European Union membership candidate status, the “radical” domestic opposition will use it to stir up unrest in the country”.