Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili criticized the European Commission’s recent letter to Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili, calling it an attempt to impose a “false dilemma” on the country. He accused Brussels of demanding ideological conformity in exchange for visa-free travel, likening it to being forced to declare that “the Earth is flat.”
“Brussels is once again presenting us with a false choice — as if we must accept visa-free travel only if we agree to deny biological reality,” Papuashvili told journalists. “They demand that we say a man can become a woman, or they will burn us at the stake of their false ideology. This has nothing to do with European values.”
Papuashvili specifically referred to the EU’s demand to repeal the newly adopted law “On Family Values and Protection of Minors’ Rights,” arguing that its main principle — that “a man cannot become a woman, and a woman cannot become a man” — is now being equated with a violation of democratic standards.
“This is no different from forcing us to say the Earth is flat,” he continued. “We remember when people were persecuted in Europe for saying otherwise. Today, Brussels is playing the same role — threatening to punish us if we don’t embrace their ideological demands.”
He also addressed Brussels’ concerns about transparency, alleging that EU funds have supported “radicalism, extremism, political parties, and partisan media” in Georgia. According to him, Brussels is resisting Georgian attempts to regulate and monitor the influence of foreign funding.
“The EU bureaucracy has strayed far from its founding values. Instead of defending democracy and the rule of law, it is pushing ideological agendas. We’re not rejecting Europe — we are asking Brussels to return to real European values and stop forcing false choices on sovereign states.”
Papuashvili added that the EU’s previous suspension of visa privileges for diplomatic and service passport holders was a violation of international law and the 2010 visa agreement.
The European Commission’s letter, sent by Beate Gminder, Director-General for Migration and Home Affairs, requested updates from the Georgian government on the implementation of eight key recommendations. These include repealing the law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” and the “Family Values” legislative package, as well as revising the National Human Rights Strategy to ensure protection for LGBTQ+ individuals.
