MP Irakli Kadagishvili: EPP backs destructive opposition politics; strategy has reduced domestic opposition to the same freefall group faces in Germany

“Regrettably, the European People’s Party (EPP) continues to endorse the destructive agenda of the United National Movement (UNM), having previously backed their authoritarian rule,” said Irakli Kadagishvili, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Self-Government.

Kadagishvili dismissed allegations of political repression in Georgia, maintaining that all defendants face open, lawful judicial proceedings.

“Every individual has the right to appeal their conviction, including before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg,” Kadagishvili stated. “In every instance brought before Strasbourg, justice has prevailed, with the court confirming that Georgian judicial rulings are lawful and fully compliant with core human rights standards. It is precisely the encouragement of destructive politics—driven in large part by the aggressive meddling of parties like the EPP—that has posed the greatest obstacle to democratic consolidation in Georgia. Indeed, public opinion polling conducted by the opposition itself clearly shows that this approach has pushed them to the brink of total collapse.

“The core pillar of the EPP has traditionally been Germany, historically anchored by the CDU/CSU alliance—once regarded as among the most powerful, progressive, and influential centre-right forces in Europe,” Kadagishvili added. “Today, we see them struggling to clear even the 5 per cent electoral threshold across several German regions. This destructive approach has brought Georgia’s domestic opposition to the same absolute zero point currently reflected in the EPP’s freefall in its home market.”

The comments follow the adoption of an EPP resolution titled ‘Authoritarian Decline in Georgia’, which called on the European Union to “step up targeted sanctions and other restrictive measures against individuals responsible for political repression in Georgia.”