Georgia’s ruling party has intensified its anti-EU rhetoric following the European Parliament’s latest criticism of democratic backsliding in the country. Senior figures from Georgian Dream (GD) have accused Brussels of spreading “lies,” supporting “violent extremists,” and interfering in Georgia’s internal politics.
Kakha Kaladze, the GD General Secretary and Mayor of Tbilisi, did not mince words when addressing the party’s European counterparts. He characterized a large segment of the European bureaucracy as having “lost face,” asserting their recent statements on Georgia are “saturated with lies” and “based solely on falsehood.”
“Their statements encourage violence and extremist organizations,” Kaladze said. “There have been several attempts to organize revolutions and overthrow the government in our country.”
When asked what the ruling party expects from the European Union, Kaladze said Georgian Dream demands “justice,” not political pressure.
“The legitimacy of elections is granted by the Georgian people. The majority of our citizens have given legitimacy to Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia. We only demand a fair attitude,” he added.
Georgian Dream’s Parliament speaker accuses Brussels of hypocrisy
Echoing Kaladze’s tone, Georgian Dream’s parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili published a lengthy statement on social media accusing Brussels of abandoning its own democratic principles and “standing on the side of the violent.”
“The way for Brussels to restore relations with the Georgian people lies through respect for European values,” he wrote. “Today, Brussels is alienated from our common European values, the most important of which is respect for democracy.”
Papuashvili alleged that EU officials and diplomats interfered in Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections, calling it a violation of both the UN Charter and the Vienna Convention.
He also accused the EU of bias in several judicial cases involving opposition figures Mikheil Saakashvili, Nika Melia, and Nika Gvaramia, claiming that “Strasbourg confirmed Georgian justice was right, and Brussels was lying.”
The Speaker further criticized EU Ambassador Pawel Herczynski, suggesting that his refusal to condemn the October 4 violence “illustrates the moral dead end Brussels has reached.”
“Modern Europe not only fails to condemn violence but openly stands on the side of the violent,” Papuashvili asserted. “If Brussels wants to return to European values, the first step is to recognize and respect democracy.”
Growing rift with the EU
The remarks mark the latest stage in Georgian Dream’s ongoing confrontation with Brussels, which has deepened since the government passed a controversial “foreign agents” law earlier this year.
The EU has repeatedly warned that Georgia’s democratic trajectory and attacks on civil society could jeopardize its EU candidate status — a concern the ruling party dismisses as “external meddling.”
Despite the escalating rhetoric, polls consistently show that a vast majority of Georgians — around 80% — support EU membership, underscoring the widening gap between the pro-European public and the increasingly defiant government in Tbilisi.