Georgian Parliament official: Brussels heard Iceland’s voice but not Georgia’s - respect for peoples’ will must be consistent

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Integration Committee, said on Tuesday that Brussels had clearly heard the Icelandic people’s voice in a recent referendum but had failed to give equal weight to the will of the Georgian people.

Speaking at a plenary session of Parliament, Makhashvili referred to Iceland’s referendum, in which 52% of voters opposed opening EU accession negotiations, and contrasted the EU’s response with what he described as its approach to Georgia.

“Unfortunately, Europe’s weakening as a geopolitical actor has continued. To summarise the European Commission President’s remarks at a meeting with businesspeople in France: Europe has lost access to cheap energy resources. Europe has lost its technological advantage. Europe has lost its largest key markets. Europe has lost its security umbrella”, he said.

Makhashvili said European citizens were already experiencing the consequences of what he called “irrational decisions” and poorly calculated policies.

“Irrational decisions driven by trends, poorly calculated steps and the irresponsible policies of European politicians who pursue the interests of others primarily harm their own citizens and undermine Europe’s role as a flagship of business, technology, peace, order and the rule of law”, the official continued.

“Ordinary Europeans are already facing these serious consequences in the form of negative employment, demographic, social, crime, migration and other trends”, he added.

He also cited the latest Eurobarometer survey, saying that almost two-thirds of Europeans did not view their future optimistically.

“It was precisely this irresponsibility and complete disregard for democracy and sovereignty that damaged relations between the EU and Georgia as well, when the Georgian government was criticised for caring about its own people and maintaining peace in the country was branded as pro-Russian”, he said.

“Domestic radical groups were then placed at the head of this false narrative and imposed on the country”, he added.
Turning to Iceland, Makhashvili said the referendum showed that the country had chosen what it considered the approach most beneficial to its national interests.

“The results of the Icelandic referendum were also interesting. In the Icelandic referendum, 52% rejected the launch of negotiations on EU accession. Iceland refused to give up its main resource and chose the format of relations that, at this stage of history, best serves its national economy”, he said.

“Iceland confirmed that partnership with the European family is possible and necessary only while safeguarding the country’s dignity and interests”, he added.

Makhashvili said the referendum should not be viewed as a rejection of the European idea but as criticism of Brussels’ policies.

“The Icelandic referendum was not a failure of the European idea. It was a failure of Brussels’ policy and a reminder that European states stand at the foundation of the European idea, and that Europe will not be defined by what Brussels bureaucrats see from their windows, but by what European people want”, he noted.

He also pointed to the absence of major unrest following the referendum.

“It is also interesting that the remaining 48% who participated in the referendum did not take to the streets or begin storming state institutions, burning police officers alive, staging revolutions or attempting to overthrow the government by force”, Makhashvili said.

“No one declared the day of the referendum a dark day for democracy, no one adopted resolutions or sanctions to punish the Icelandic people, no one came from the EU to participate in demonstrations in Iceland and, as my colleague said, Icelanders did not wake up in Chelyabinsk the following day”, the official added.

Makhashvili said this demonstrated what he described as a double standard in Brussels’ treatment of Iceland and Georgia.

“This voice was clear to Brussels. But for some reason, the Georgian people’s voice was not equally clear to Brussels. Yet the will of the people is the will of the people - in Iceland, Switzerland and Georgia alike”, he noted.

“Instead of interfering in internal affairs and engineering electoral and political processes according to its own preferences, Brussels should respect other people’s will not selectively, not according to the size of payments made through lobbying contracts, but by all people, sincerely and honestly”, he added.

Makhashvili said that respecting the Georgian people’s electoral choices would help preserve the EU’s credibility.
“And the sooner and more sincerely Brussels respects the will expressed by the Georgian people in elections, the more it will preserve its own standing, trust and reputation, which it has been particularly eager to damage and squander over the past two years through NGOs and radicals,” he said.

Makhashvili concluded by saying that a strong European Union was in Georgia’s interests, while stressing that relations should be based on mutual respect for sovereignty.

“Finally, a strong Europe is in Georgia’s best interests. Georgia and the Georgian people cannot be friends with bureaucrats who are obsessed with an agenda of war. Instead, Georgia was, is and will be a partner of the European Union as a healthy, democratic organisation that respects its own and others’ interests and sovereignty. Therefore, let us hope that European leaders will understand their responsibility and act not at the direction of informal interest groups, but in accordance with their own national interests. This will benefit their countries as well as help improve relations with Georgia”, he concluded.