MP Nikoloz Samkharadze: Marta Kos’s statement was bizarre; EU has no right to dictate to candidate states whom they may befriend

“The European Union has no right whatsoever to dictate to a candidate nation which foreign government or administration it is permitted to maintain friendly ties with,” MP Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, told GPB First Channel.

Samkharadze was commenting on remarks made by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, who asserted that “countries seeking EU accession must sever ties with Donald Trump’s MAGA movement to qualify for membership.”

“In this instance, we are talking about the United States, the principal partner of the European Union and the chief guarantor of European security. Consequently, Marta Kos’s statement was bizarre, to say the least.

Notably, Marta Kos did not address existing EU member states that may maintain relations with the new US administration. Here again, we observe a clear division into first-class and second-class nations. Apparently, if a country is an EU member state, engaging with America is permissible, but if it is a candidate state, befriending the US administration is deemed unacceptable.

This approach damages the European Union itself; it fuels anger and indignation across candidate countries. Furthermore, it undermines the EU’s standing and fosters a growing perception that Brussels may not genuinely desire enlargement at all,” Nikoloz Samkharadze stated.