'Georgia at crossroads': EU envoy’s remarks spark strong reaction in Tbilisi
“Georgia stands at a crossroads” — a remark by EU ambassador Pawel Herczynski in Brussels has sparked a sharp reaction in Tbilisi. Georgian government representatives are calling for the ambassador to be summoned to the foreign ministry.
What Herczynski said
At the opening of the “Georgia in Focus” photo exhibition at the European External Action Service in Brussels, Pawel Herczynski said the following:
“Georgia stands at a crossroads. Its future has not yet been written, but what is decided in the coming weeks and months will determine whether Georgia belongs to the family of European countries built on democracy, the rule of law and human rights, or whether it will, unfortunately, return to its darker past.
My main message to the Georgian people is: do not lose hope. We must not allow Georgia and its remarkable, warm and hospitable people to return to dark times of violence, civil war, poverty, hardship and corruption. This is not the future they deserve. As soon as the government shows a willingness to cooperate with us, we will do everything we can to help Georgia become a member of the European Union.”
Government reaction
A sharp and coordinated response followed from the ruling authorities in Tbilisi. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze described Pawel Herczynski’s remarks as a threat of “civil war and impoverishment” and said it would be appropriate to summon the ambassador to the foreign ministry. He added that such rhetoric was “unthinkable” and went beyond diplomatic norms.
Kakha Kaladze struck a similar tone. He said the ambassador had “directly spoken about civil confrontation”, which was being perceived as a threat to the state and society. Kaladze also stressed that Georgia is a sovereign country and seeks “friends, not masters” in its relations with partners.
Kakha Kaladze: “It was a very alarming statement — it spoke of war and civil confrontation. If previously there were veiled calls for us to be drawn into war, now someone has come out openly, speaking about civil confrontation and issuing threats to the Georgian people and the state. First and foremost, he must be summoned and asked specific questions, to which we need answers.
Georgia has not deviated from anything. We are a democratic and free country. If anyone thinks they can dictate to us and force us to live according to their ‘whims’, that will not happen. Everyone must clearly understand that, as a sovereign state, we need friends and partners — not masters who will wag their finger at us. Let them wag their finger at those they have done so to before.”
The leader of the parliamentary majority from the ruling Georgian Dream, Irakli Kirtskhalia, in a lengthy social media post, linked the ambassador’s remarks to the influence of the “deep state” and contrasted EU policy with the values declared by the Georgian authorities. He said the ambassador’s words did not reflect the interests of European citizens and were part of external influence.
“Among other things, the continued presence in Georgia of a figure like you is important so that our population can clearly see the difference between a Europe governed by the ‘deep state’ and the union based on genuine European values that Georgia openly aspires to join. And this aspiration cannot be stopped — neither by you personally nor by a Euro-bureaucracy acting under informal oligarchic influence,” Kirtskhalia said, addressing Pawel Herczynski.
Pawel Herczynski’s statement on Georgia
