"I'm not sure Georgian Dream wants European integration" - Viola von Cramon

Viola von Cramon on Georgia’s European integration

The Georgian people, the citizens of Georgia are very pro-European, unlike the ruling Georgian Dream party, German MEP Viola von Cramon told Formula TV.

“The authorities are trying to show that we are unreliable, they are carrying out targeted attacks on me, my colleagues and trying to make people distrust us. [They’re claiming] we are part of a pro-war coalition that scares people. But it’s the opposite — we want peace, so that various institutions work to ensure peace and stability in Europe. I’m not sure that Georgian Dream or people in government really want European integration,” von Cramon said.

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According to a compromise document passed by the European Parliament on November 8, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, whom opponents of the Georgian government consider a shadow ruler, is no longer referred to as an oligarch. However, the name of the businessman is still used in the context of “deoligarchization”, and a demand is made to curtail his influence.

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The document also refers to persecution of opposition media in the country, political persecution, the procedure for electing a public defender, and that the European Parliament calls on the Georgian government to send former president Mikheil Saakashvili for treatment abroad “for humanitarian purposes and for reducing polarization in society”.

On July 13 it became known that the European Commission had postponed the assessment of the fulfillment of the twelve points outlined by the European Union for Georgia until 2023, instead of 2022.

On June 17 the European Commission prepared a report on granting Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova candidate status for EU membership. It was decided to grant this status to Ukraine and Moldova, while Georgia was first obliged to fulfill the twelve points.

Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova jointly applied for EU membership on 3 March.