Georgian Parliament Speaker says Moldova developments validate earlier warnings about sovereignty concerns

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said it was impossible to compare the European integration path of Georgia and Moldova, arguing that Moldova’s leadership does not attach importance to state sovereignty, while such an attitude would be unimaginable for Georgians.

In his remarks, Papuashvili noted that there are growing signs that Brussels is gradually retreating from its declared commitment to EU enlargement.

“We used to complain that, unfortunately, some people in Brussels view European integration as a limitation of sovereignty. In Moldova’s case, it now appears to have reached the point of abolishing the state altogether. When Georgia is compared to Moldova, this is one of the key issues that from the outset underscores why it is impossible to compare the European integration paths of our two countries”, he said.

“While Moldova’s authorities appear to place little value on their country’s independence and effectively acknowledge that the statehood they have been building for the past 35 years is of no significance to them, they are now saying that sovereignty and independence have never truly mattered. That is their choice, but it is precisely why our countries’ path toward European integration cannot be compared”, the Speaker continued.

Papuashvili further added that Georgia has a continuous statehood tradition spanning millennia, and no Georgian could even imagine abolishing their own state for the sake of some European idea.

“This illustrates what is really happening with regard to EU enlargement. It shows that Moldova has little confidence that the European Union is serious about enlargement. Moldova, which is often presented as a model pupil in the European integration process, is now discussing the possibility of joining the EU by dissolving its statehood and becoming part of Romania”, he said.

“This means that Moldova is looking for a side entrance into the European Union because, while it may not be said publicly, everyone internally appears to understand that Brussels is gradually backing away from its open commitment to enlargement”, Papuashvili concluded.