“Hopefully, in the end, Europe will emerge from the crisis victorious, stronger, and Georgia will become part of a Europe that restores its democratic foundations—one that respects diverse opinions and does not sulk like a small child. Europe, for which the solution to complex challenges lies in dialogue, not in slamming doors,” Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of the European Integration Committee, stressed during a parliamentary session.

Makhashvili emphasised that based on recent meetings in Budapest, it is becoming clear that the contours of change within the European Union are visible, and attitudes toward Georgia may soon shift.

According to Makhashvili, the primary challenge facing Europe today is its precarious situation—economically, militarily, and politically.

“We have held significant discussions in Budapest over the past two days, within the framework of the Summit of the Speakers of Parliaments of EU Member States and Candidate Countries. The central topic was the future of Europe. I would like to share our insights from this conference. The main challenge for Europe today is that it finds itself in a difficult position—economically, militarily, and politically—especially when compared to other global powers. The world’s largest war is currently unfolding on its territory, and a resolution remains elusive. The fundamental bonds that once united EU member states have weakened considerably, leaving the Union more vulnerable—a reality we observed clearly during this conference. The EU has either managed or watched from afar as global changes unfolded. Now, the EU itself is caught in the midst of transformation.

In particular, forces advocating for conservative values are growing exponentially within member states, threatening the political establishment that has been in place for decades. Until now, conservative ideologies were dismissed and pushed to the margins. However, today, their influence has grown to such an extent that ignoring or dismissing this resurgence no longer proves effective. As one of the EU parliamentary leaders noted, attempts to silence these voices in the name of defending democracy have instead undermined and harmed the very democracy they seek to protect,” Makhashvili explained.

Levan Makhashvili also noted that in Georgia, radical opposition groups and their foreign backers have long tried to dismiss, suppress, and insult the voice of the Georgian people.

“They have failed—and they will continue to fail. The fact that part of this hall is empty today is a clear confirmation of this. In Georgia, they lost the battle with their own people and their own country. Hopefully, in the end, Europe will emerge from the crisis victorious, stronger, and Georgia will become part of a Europe that restores its democratic foundations—one that respects diverse opinions and does not sulk like a small child. Europe, for which the solution to complex challenges lies in dialogue, not in slamming doors. Our bilateral meetings also clearly indicated that the outlines of this new European approach are gradually taking shape within the Union. We trust that common sense will prevail here as well, including in relations with Georgia,” Makhashvili concluded.