PM to Parliament: Georgia has “more supporters than opponents” in Europe in quest for EU candidacy

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday told the Parliament he had confidence that the country had “more supporters than opponents” in Europe in its efforts to be granted the European Union membership candidate status later this year. 

In comments at the Georgian Parliament to present the annual report on the work of the Government, Garibashvili said “many European leaders” supported the country in receiving the status.

We expect a reasonable, wise decision from our European friends. I believe that our country has more supporters than opponents in Europe. Many European leaders of leading countries are involved in this process, and they support us to receive the status by the end of the year”, he told lawmakers.

The Government head stressed receiving the status would be “one of the main steps forward” in reducing polarisation of the political scene in the country.

The argument I made to my [European] colleagues is the following - one of the main conditions that has not been implemented, again due to the destructive sabotage and boycott of this irresponsible [domestic] opposition, is to reduce polarisation. It is probably impossible to end - there is polarisation in every country - but one of the main steps forward to reduce it would be the granting of the status”, Garibashvili noted.

He also claimed the ruling Georgian Dream party had brought “specific results” to the country in terms of European integration, in contrast to the previous United National Movement Government that he alleged had been engaged in “Singaporeisation” of the country - in reference to the former imprisoned President Mikheil Saakashvili’s proclaimed desire to make Singapore a role model for Georgia’s development.

This, of course not in the classical sense, but a distorted, pseudo-Singaporeisation [sense], because Singapore is truly an amazing country. But [this leads back to the point that] on the path of European integration, the previous Government [...] did not do anything. That is why, I think, our partners will make the right decision [on the EU candidacy]”, he said.