Georgian PM says public “should not think US, EU support  collective opposition”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday told the Parliament the domestic public “should not think that the United States and the European Union support the collective opposition United National Movement party”.

Kobakhidze claimed the “collective” UNM had been “distinguished by torturing people, overflowing prisons, business racketeering, seizing television stations, and losing territories” during its time in power.

“In fact, especially over the past two to three years, we have been doing everything to protect the reputation of our Western partners in this country”, he told MPs. 

He further claimed “unfair steps” had been taken and “unfair statements” made on behalf of European and American institutions over the recent years.

“This was done, for example, by MEPs, senators, congresspeople and other government officials. In order to avoid damaging the reputation of Western institutions in the eyes of the Georgian public, we talked about the Global War Party, which is true after all”, he said in reference to to unspecified political forces in the West who allegedly seek to create a revolutionary scenario in Georgia and involve the country into opening a “second front” amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. 

He further said the alleged group was “exerting a serious influence on official bodies”. 

The PM added both the EU and the US “need deoligarchisation”, and said “I hope that the processes will go in this direction and the pressure on Georgia will decrease”.

Kobakhidze alleged the opposition was “engaged in anti-Western disinformation” in the country by “tr[ying] to present the European Union and the United States as being on the side of the collective United National Movement opposition”.