The Georgian president went to Munich "unauthorized"; the parliament speaker says she disrespects the constitution
Commenting on Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili’s “unauthorized” visit to the Munich Conference, Chairman of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili remarked that Zurabishvili shows a lack of respect for the country’s Constitution.
“[The Constitution] holds no value for her; to her, they are merely pieces of paper. She views Georgia as the backyard of her residence, where she can act as she pleases. Salome Zurabishvili represents only herself in Munich; she does not represent Georgia and will not inflict any harm upon it,” Papuashvili stated.
Furthermore, the new chairman of the Georgian Dream, Irakli Garibashvili, went as far as to label Salome Zurabishvili a “traitor.”
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President of Georgia attending the Munich security conference
According to the presidential administration, Zurabishvili departed for Munich on February 5.
“From February 16 to 18, the President of Georgia will participate in discussions concerning international security matters at the Munich Conference alongside world leaders, heads of state, and prominent representatives of international organizations.
During the Munich Security Conference, which serves as the foremost global platform for deliberating international security issues, the President of Georgia will address the panel titled ‘A Deeper, Wider, and More Capable European Union’ and will engage in discussions concerning ensuring NATO’s eastern flank readiness (‘Better Safe Than Sorry: Securing NATO’s Eastern Flank Readiness’),” stated the presidential administration.
Zurabishvili has previously faced accusations of violating the constitution.
On September 1, 2023, the ruling Georgian Dream party initiated impeachment proceedings against the president, citing her gross violation of the constitution through multiple visits to European countries without government consent.
Indeed, these presidential visits were unauthorized by the government. However, in response to the allegations, Zurabishvili defended herself by stating that she financed these trips independently and advocated for Georgia to attain candidate status for European Union membership.
Before parliament could vote on the impeachment motion, the Constitutional Court had to ascertain whether the president had indeed breached the Constitution. The court confirmed the violation, but as anticipated, the opposition did not lend support to impeachment, resulting in its failure to proceed.
According to Salome Zurabishvili’s most recent tax return, she allocated 48,217 lari [approximately $18 thousand] of her personal funds towards visits to European countries.
Furthermore, the declaration reveals that the president expended 55,275 lari [around $21 thousand] on charitable contributions.
