Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that the “tragic political situation” within the European Union was most clearly reflected in a statement issued today by the European People’s Party (EPP). He made the comment during a briefing at the Government Administration.
Kobakhidze claimed that while the EPP is the largest political grouping in Europe, it also counts among its members Georgia’s United National Movement (UNM), which he described as having established a “bloody authoritarian regime” during its time in power.
“Let me remind you that the EPP is the largest European party, uniting most ruling parties in Europe. I also remind you that the ‘National Movement,’ which created a bloody authoritarian regime in Georgia and, for nine years, violated democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, is a member of the EPP,” Kobakhidze stated.
He accused the UNM and “other radical opposition forces” of attempting to overthrow Georgia’s democratically elected government and of inflicting severe physical harm on police officers during recent protests. “Two officers survived death only by the grace of God,” he noted, criticizing the EPP for “not calling for sanctions against the perpetrators and enemies of Georgian democracy, but against Bidzina Ivanishvili and other leaders of the ruling team.”
The Prime Minister claimed that the EPP’s stance illustrates “the calamity caused by the loss of sovereignty and the externally controlled European bureaucracy that has led the European Union.”
For context, the European People’s Party earlier issued a statement regarding Georgia’s October 4 local elections, calling them fraudulent and pointing to the lowest voter turnout in the country’s history. The EPP said the vote was conducted amid repression and violence against opponents of the ruling Georgian Dream party. It urged the European Union to impose sanctions against those “undermining the rule of law and human rights in Georgia,” specifically naming Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and his allies.
Related story: EPP calls for sanctions against Ivanishvili, urges Georgian Dream to end violence
