Georgian PM invites “sincere citizens” to discuss EU integration delays, hails Interior Minister for handling of protests

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday invited “sincere citizens” for a “public or private discussion” on Georgia's European Union integration issues, amid ongoing protests in capital Tbilisi and regions against the Government's decision last week to delay the talks for the country’s European Union accession until 2028, while praising Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri for “European-standard handling” of the rallies. 

We invite any sincere person who has understood what we said differently to come and hold a public or private discussion on any issue. Every citizen is precious to us, and we will pay special attention to the opinions of sincere people”, the PM said during a Government session. 

He further claimed there was an “issue of reading comprehension” in the public, linking it to challenges in education and broader societal implications, before pointing to findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment tests that he said had revealed “significant deficiencies” in literacy skills.

There is a serious problem with reading comprehension in Georgia. When an ordinary person cannot understand what they read or hear, this may be a lesser problem, but when they have difficulty understanding what they read, for example, specific public servants or teachers in schools or higher educational institutions, this is, of course, an even greater problem”, he alleged. 

Explaining Georgia’s EU integration delays, Kobakhidze criticised what he called the “use of the negotiations as a tool of “blackmail”, saying the opening of accession talks “cannot be constantly used as a tool of blackmail, just as the candidate status was used as a tool of blackmail for a year and a half. Put it on the table [and] we will sign [it], but once again, [there needs to be]  business instead of blackmail”. 

The PM further accused the domestic, “foreign-influenced” opposition of “discouraging dialogue through liberal fascism and violence”. 

Liberal fascism will come into play, and no such person, including a sincere one, will be allowed to participate in the discussion, because such is the nature of liberal fascism”, he added. 

Kobakhidze once again slammed the four opposition groups which surpassed the threshold in last month’s general elections as a “collective, destructive United National Movement”, and accused them of violating constitutional principles.

The collective UNM has openly opposed the constitutional order of Georgia in recent days, which directly provides the basis for declaring a political party [the previous ruling UNM] unconstitutional”, he said. 

The official further suggested the party was in a “self-liquidation mode” and hinted at potential legal actions without requiring a constitutional majority - at least 113 MPs in the 150-member Parliament - as the GD currently holds 89 seats. 

The PM praised Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and law enforcement agencies for their handling of the ongoing protests, asserting their actions had “met international standards”.

For Georgia, dispersals of rallies after 2012 [when the GD defeated the UNM in parliamentary elections] are an absolutely foreign event. Every time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has operated with the highest standard under the leadership of Vakhtang Gomelauri”, the official claimed.

He contrasted the current Government’s approach with that of the previous administration, accusing former officials of violent crackdowns.

The PM also highlighted the role of the State Security Service in “preventing risks to public safety”.