Kobakhidze: "The European Union doesn't care about democracy"

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the European Union's decisions regarding various countries are dictated by political considerations, not by a commitment to democratic principles and human rights. He noted that European institutions ignored serious violations in Georgia under previous governments and are now applying similar tactics to other countries, granting them candidate status or opening EU membership negotiations.

"The European Union essentially doesn't care about democracy, which is clearly demonstrated by the examples of Ukraine, Moldova, and many other countries. This was also evident in Georgia from 2004 to 2012, when prisoners were tortured. Back then, the EU didn't care about democracy or human rights," the prime minister emphasized.

Kobakhidze also criticized the notion that European and American bureaucracies are always guided exclusively by democratic values.

"There are no saints in either the European or American bureaucracy—not then, not now. The only hope is that a fair approach will emerge against the backdrop of overall political changes," the prime minister added.

Western countries accuse the current Georgian authorities of rolling back democracy and engaging in anti-Western rhetoric. Tbilisi, for its part, attributes the deteriorating relations with the EU to disagreements over the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a desire to preserve sovereignty.

At the same time, Georgia has been a candidate for EU accession since December 2023. However, in 2024, Brussels reconsidered its relations with the country following its adoption of the laws "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" and "On the Protection of Family Values," effectively suspending European integration. In response, in November 2024, Tbilisi announced that it would remove the issue of opening EU accession negotiations from the agenda until 2028. In March 2026, the European Commission suspended visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service passports, threatening to extend these restrictions to all citizens.

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