Ruling party official claims domestic opposition “doing everything to hinder” European integration
The ruling party official stressed implementing the EU recommendations was “very important”, with one of the main components of the conditions being aimed at reducing the polarisation, adding “these people [the domestic opposition] are actually increasing that polarisation”. Photo: Tbilisi City Hall
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Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday claimed a part of the domestic opposition was “doing everything to hinder” the country’s European integration and disrupt upcoming decisions on whether it would receive the European Union membership candidate status.
In his remarks with the local media, Kaladze alleged the part of the opposition had set a task for itself to avoid getting involved in the work for fulfilling the EU’s conditions for granting the country the status later this year, instead aiming to hinder the process by “deepening the polarisation” of the domestic political scene.
These people are in a sabotage mode, and do not think that this is a sabotage against the Georgian Dream party - this is sabotage against the country, against the European future of this country. We hear their hypocritical statements, they are doing everything to prevent the country from receiving the [membership candidate] status”, Kaladze said.
The ruling party official stressed implementing the EU recommendations was “very important”, with one of the main components of the conditions being aimed at reducing the polarisation, adding “these people [the domestic opposition] are actually increasing that polarisation”.
They did not participate in anything. They go to Brussels and do everything they can to hinder Georgia's future, European integration in any form, and disrupt decisions regarding the granting of the status”, he concluded.
Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen on Friday said Georgia's rapprochement with the European Union was in the interest of the bloc itself, and said the EU must keep the countries aspiring for membership “close”.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday told the roundtable discussion within the framework of the ongoing Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe joining the European Union was his Government's “ultimate goal”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday said a "lesson" of the "turning point" of the ongoing war in Ukraine was to support accession of Ukraine, Western Balkan states, Moldova and, "in the future", Georgia to the European Union.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said a delegation from the lawmaking body had “practically received guarantees” from Italian and Maltese “top officials” of their backing for granting the European Union membership candidate status to Georgia in December.
Maaike van Koldam, the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Georgia, on Monday called on all domestic political parties to “work together”, “unite to overcome differences”, end polarisation of the domestic political scene and fulfil the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
The Political Council of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Monday said positions taken by President Salome Zourabichvili on domestic politics over the recent period were “characterised by extreme non-objectivity and political bias”, but noted the party’s stance was that it should “refrain on principle” from criticising her.
Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said his party was “refusing to respond” to President Salome Zourabichvili’s critical comments on the current Government over the recent years due to its “respect of the Presidential institute” and “national interests”.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday pledged all conditions set by the European Union for granting the country the membership candidate status later this year would be implemented “soon”.
Georgia's European perspective and the 2024 Parliamentary elections in the country were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between representatives of the Georgian Parliamentary opposition and Jonathan Djanogly, the Chair of the Georgia All-Party Parliamentary Groups in the British Parliament.
Khatuna Samnidze, an opposition MP and the Chair of the Republican Party, on Tuesday said that “specific representatives” of the opposition were “hindering” the process of granting Georgia the European Union membership candidate status.
Khatuna Samnidze, an opposition MP and the Chair of the Republican Party, on Wednesday said unspecified political figures from the domestic opposition advising Georgia’s European partners behind closed doors to grant the EU membership candidate status to the country only after the 2024 Parliamentary Elections were “undermining” the opposition’s message that the country “needs the status”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said Khatuna Samnidze, the chair of the Republican Party opposition group in the Parliament, had “confirmed” that a part of the domestic opposition was lobbying against the country being granted the European Union membership candidate status.