Georgian Parliament official: European bureaucrats failed to respect choice of Georgian people

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s European Integration Committee, on Sunday said the European bureaucracy’s attitude toward people has been clearly demonstrated by the example of Georgia, arguing that Brussels failed to respect the choice of the Georgian people.

Speaking on the programme EURO Anatomy, Makhashvili noted that the explanation for all this is simple - they view Georgia as an “easy target” and an example that could be easily overcome, “but Georgia’s example got stuck in their throats”.

“Georgians decided to stand firmly by their choice, defend their position, and engage in the negotiation process with the European Union with dignity, speaking to Brussels on an equal footing. We did not see Molotov cocktails being thrown in Iceland, Icelanders declaring it the darkest day for democracy or saying they would “wake up in Chelyabinsk”. Nor did we see revolutions being encouraged or supportive statements being issued by the European Commission”, he said.

He further stressed that this should serve as a lesson for Brussels that the choices of other nations must be respected.

“This should also be a lesson for Brussels: everyone must respect the choices of other peoples. Otherwise, as happened in the case of Iceland, such an approach will ultimately turn against them and have negative consequences for their own policies”, Makhashvili concluded.