Georgian PM hopes for shift in EU “policy towards Georgia” following Trump’s inauguration

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said he hoped  a “practice of blackmail by certain European politicians and officials” towards his Government would “finally end” with the inauguration of the United States President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze claimed the “blackmail” had been “going on for the past three years”, and further pointed out that  alleged foreign efforts to bring the opposition United National Movement party back to power in the country “must definitely end after these three years”.

The EU, and Europe in general, are facing very difficult challenges today. There is a political crisis in several countries, with crises in two leading EU countries - France and Germany. First, Macron’s Government and then Scholz’s Government lost a vote of confidence”, he noted.

“In some countries, fragile coalitions have been formed, where winning parties struggle to form a government. There is also a severe situation in Ukraine and Syria, which is a problem for the EU, and there is economic stagnation across the EU, with some countries even experiencing recession”, the PM said.

Kobakhidze added that it was “incomprehensible for certain European politicians and officials” to “continue seeking to “blackmail Georgia at such a time”.

We hope that from January 20 this blackmail practice will finally end, and the attempt to bring the collective United National Movement back to power will come to an end. This blackmail and the effort to return the UNM to power have lasted for three years, and after all this time, it must end”, he continued.

The Government head stressed the development was “important”, especially for “restoring the lost trust in European bodies among the Georgian public”.