Professor John Laughland: Georgia viewed by EU as “a tool”

John Laughland, Director of Research Programs at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation, on Sunday stated Georgia should distance itself from Europe at this stage, saying the country was viewed by the European Union merely as a tool.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Laughland noted that he was impressed by the Georgian Government’s resistance to what he described as open pressure from the West.

“If I were in your place, I would avoid Europe for now and distance myself. Georgia is merely a tool for the European Union; their interest lies in using Georgia”, he said.

“In my view, it is still too early to speak about the loss of power by leading parties in the West. I believe the system still has strength. We saw the annulled elections in Romania in 2024, and we see partial or full bans on social networks, such as X. The system still has many instruments at its disposal”, Laughland continued.

The Professor stressed that Europe faced numerous challenges, including budgetary ones, and the entire system was on the verge of collapse, though it was unclear when that collapse would occur.

“You asked me about relations between Europe and Georgia, I would again say: if I were in your place, I would avoid Europe for now and distance myself. Georgia is merely a tool for the EU; their interest lies in using Georgia. I am impressed by the resistance shown by the Georgian authorities amid open pressure from the West, including during the period when Europe acted through the former president”, Laughland added.

He further emphasised that excessive focus on Europe was destructive.

“Friendship in itself is good, and I would gladly visit Georgia again. Contacts benefit both sides, but from the perspective of national policy, focus on your own interests”, Laughland concluded.