“Drain NGO swamp”: MEP Tomasz Froelich warns of NGO influence behind Tbilisi protests

Tomasz Froelich, a member of the European Parliament, on Tuesday assessed the European Commission's recent plan to envisage a 600 percent increase in funding for non-governmental organisations and the media as a dangerous decision, with which European bureaucrats were seeking to replace the USAID.

In his remarks, Froelich recalled violent processes in various countries, including Georgia, organised by the NGO sector in order to change the government, noting that this should not be the goal of the European Union.

“I have been to many countries over the past year and met with many ministers. Everyone told me that the closure of USAID is very good news, and now the European Union wants to play the role that USAID used to play. I think this is a very wrong decision, because the focus of NGOs is completely wrong. NGOs have only one goal - to spread their own interests. They are seeking to organise operations to change the government. I know what is happening in Georgia; NGOs are organising street rallies in Tbilisi and creating big problems there, and this is not the European Union's business. We need to drain this NGO swamp, because it poses a threat to other societies”, Froelich said.