MP Sharashidze: Georgia diverged from EU’s fundamental values

“The phrase ‘the resolution is worth the price of straw’ is a well-known term used by Georgian Dream, which the party’s leaders repeat like parrots. They say this because they have abandoned Georgia’s integration into the European Union,” Giorgi Sharashidze, a member of the Gakharia for Georgia party and MP, said.

According to Sharashidze, if the country has even a minimal political will to join the European Union, which is an obligation enshrined in the Constitution, it is unclear how resolutions adopted by an organization that Georgia aspires to join can be considered “worth the price of straw.”

“The assessment that these resolutions are worth the price of straw confirms that, under Georgian Dream, Georgia will unfortunately make no progress on its path toward EU integration. This is a fact, and Irakli Kobakhidze himself confirmed it when he appeared on November 28, 2024, and announced that Georgia was suspending the EU accession process until 2028.

Accordingly, all the criticism coming from European institutions is justified. Unfortunately, Georgia has moved away from the main, fundamental values of the European Union and the democratic world, and it is understandable why criticism is being voiced.

As for sanctions, let every Georgian Dream leader ask themselves why the issue of imposing personal sanctions on them is being raised. These individuals are personally responsible for democratic backsliding, deviating from the course toward a European future and many crimes. They should not be surprised. We do not take pleasure in seeing anyone sanctioned,” Sharashidze said.

The European Parliament adopted another resolution on Georgia, whose authors include Rasa Juknevičienė, David McAllister, Tobias Cremer, and Małgorzata Gosiewska. Under the resolution, MEPs call on the European Union and its member states to impose targeted sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, Shalva Papuashvili and Kakha Kaladze. The resolution also reiterates the European Parliament’s unwavering support for the Georgian people’s European aspirations and states that any attempt to ban political parties currently operating in Georgia would move the country further away from the European Union.