Georgia PM claims EU financing ‘extremism’
(MENAFN) Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused the European Union of encouraging and financially supporting extremist activity in Georgia, as tensions continue to grow between Tbilisi and Brussels over accusations of democratic backsliding.
On Thursday, Kobakhidze claimed his administration possesses “indisputable” proof that Western entities are backing anti-government protests, including videos and evidence of EU funding methods. “We present facts, but they reply with vague statements or outright lies. It's unfortunate,” he said, according to Rustavi 2.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili echoed the claim, asserting that extremism is being funded directly through EU budgets. He said he had sent a formal letter to EU Ambassador Pawel Herczynski outlining the charges but had yet to receive a response.
The ruling Georgian Dream party, which won a strong majority in the October 2024 elections, accuses Western countries of meddling in Georgian affairs under the pretense of promoting democracy. Officials in Tbilisi have drawn comparisons to Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan uprising, alleging that similar strategies are being used in Georgia due to its refusal to adopt an anti-Russia stance over the war in Ukraine.
After Georgian Dream's electoral win, opposition parties claiming election fraud launched protests calling for the government's resignation. Western officials expressed support for the opposition, which Georgian leaders dismissed as foreign interference.
A key source of conflict is Georgia’s recently passed foreign influence transparency law, which requires political organizations to disclose significant foreign funding. While similar laws exist in Western countries, the EU condemned Georgia’s version as harmful to democracy and warned it could jeopardize the country’s EU membership prospects.
Tensions escalated further when leaders from France, Poland, and Germany issued a joint statement on Georgia’s Independence Day criticizing the country’s alleged erosion of democratic standards. Papuashvili called the statement “shameful” and said it insulted the Georgian state and its people.
Though Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December 2023, it has since paused accession talks, citing the EU’s increasingly confrontational rhetoric. Despite the friction, the Georgian government maintains it still aims for eventual EU membership.
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