Georgian PM accuses European officials of double standards over protest assessments

Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday criticised what he described as “double standards” in reactions to protests in Georgia, comparing them with recent events in Denmark.

Speaking about previous responses to developments in Georgia, Kobakhidze said that events described by some external actors as “peaceful assemblies” were in fact mischaracterized. He argued that there were attempts to portray violent incidents as peaceful protests, while, in his view, the reality on the ground was different.

The prime minister stated that during November-December 2024, and even earlier, Georgia witnessed what he described as violent attempts to overthrow the government, which he claimed were later labeled as peaceful demonstrations.

He added that isolated misconduct by certain law enforcement officers had been unfairly generalised to discredit state institutions as a whole.

“This is a double standard”, Kobakhidze said, adding that parts of the European bureaucracy, as well as some European diplomatic representatives, had shown what he called an “unjustified and weak response” by failing to clearly assess these incidents.

Commenting on recent developments in Denmark, Kobakhidze contrasted the situation with events in Tbilisi, claiming that protesters had previously attacked police officers and state institutions, while still being described by some as peaceful demonstrators. He criticised what he described as inconsistent international reactions, questioning the stance of European institutions regarding both Georgian and Danish cases.

Kobakhidze further stated that the use of force, including police dogs, had been employed in Denmark to disperse what he called peaceful assemblies, and asked why similar standards of judgment were not being applied consistently across different countries.