Georgian Parliament Speaker refuses to meet delegation of European parliamentarians following “unfriendly rhetoric”, “sowing of chaos in EU's name”

Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said he had declined a meeting with a delegation of parliamentarians from  European Union member states, led by Lithuanian MP Žygimantas Pavilionis, citing “unfriendly rhetoric” to the ruling Georgian Dream party by specific members of the delegation, and their “sowing of chaos” in the country through their alleged backing of the “radical opposition in the name of the EU”. 

In his social media post, the official further accused unspecified members of the delegation of “political bias” and “attempts to interfere in Georgia's political landscape through their statements and actions”.  

It did not take me by surprise when I heard of a delegation coming composed of MPs of several EU members”, he said, “what really surprised me was the intention of some of the delegation members to meet the entire political and parliamentary leadership of Georgia despite their track-record of personal hostilities to the Georgian Government and society”.

The Speaker highlighted concerns about alleged foreign interference during the recent Georgian elections, citing “violations” of Georgian election laws. 

During the pre-election campaign this year, some of the delegation members and other foreign politicians have continuously and purposefully violated Georgian legislation by publicly campaigning against Georgia’s governing party and in support of the opposition, trying to illegally influence the citizens’ will", he claimed, adding the "Georgian Constitution and electoral legislation prohibit foreign interference in the elections, which was blatantly disregarded. By directly engaging in election-related processes or participating in anti-governmental rallies in Tbilisi, these politicians grossly violated a principle of non-interference, the fundamental norm of international law enshrined in the UN Charter, and challenged the very essence of rules-based international order, which they seem to cherish only rhetorically".

The message also pointed to past incidents involving alleged disinformation, such as “the campaign about the conditions of [former President] Mikheil Saakashvili's imprisonment [in Georgia], which was proven false by the European Court of Human Rights [through its 2023 ruling that rejected the former official’s transfer abroad for medical grounds]”. 

Papuashvili also raised concerns that support for the “false narratives” had “damaged Georgia's image and undermined trust in EU intentions in the eyes of the Georgian people”. 

Speaking about the October 26 general elections, the official stressed the delegation members’ “rejection of the elections and ignoring of such a strong voice of the voters is the same path  the [domestic] opposition has been following for years”. 

He further alleged “when the Georgian public sees the rejection of democracy by European politicians, it damages the trust in the EU”. 

Despite rejecting the meeting request, the Speaker acknowledged his “respect for other members of the delegation” and reaffirmed a commitment to “dialogue within the framework of fundamental principles and norms of parliamentary diplomacy, on the basis of equality and respect for sovereignty”.