PM Kobakhidze: European values mean respecting democracy; encouraging Molotov cocktail attacks in Georgia points to serious double standards

“Traditional European values mean respect for democracy, respect for the rule of law, and respect for human rights, and in this regard, we see serious problems in how Georgia is treated,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists in Dublin.

According to the head of government, encouraging the throwing of Molotov cocktails and attempts to burn police officers points to a deeply serious problem.

“I also highlighted during the roundtable session that this is among the grave challenges facing Europe in terms of democracy. Traditional European values mean upholding democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, and in this respect, we see troubling double standards toward Georgia. When the throwing of Molotov cocktails and the burning of police officers are encouraged in your country, that naturally points to a very serious problem.

Demanding the release of those arrested amid such violence is a clear interference in the rule of law. When outsiders interfere in democratic elections, they violate the core democratic principles. When they weigh in directly on the judiciary and active court cases, they undermine judicial independence and the rule of law. All of this points to very serious problems and challenges observed across Europe, including specifically toward Georgia. There is an issue of double standards, which we are actively discussing here as well, and we hope these problems will be resolved in the future,” Kobakhidze said.