“When members of the European Parliament propose that individuals or groups deemed politically unacceptable should have their property confiscated, it reflects a mentality rooted in Soviet ideology,” the Georgian Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, criticized the recent statement by MEP Michael Gahler.

He noted that this was not the first time Gahler had targeted the Georgian state and pointed out the broader danger of such thinking.

“This is not the first time Michael Gahler has targeted the Georgian state — we are familiar with his previous statements. I responded only because of occasional claims that we should not be compared to the Soviet Union. Yet I must remind everyone: confiscation and expropriation were hallmarks of both communist and fascist ideologies. So, yes, when members of the European Parliament suggest that groups or individuals they find politically unacceptable should be stripped of their property, it reflects a deeply Soviet mindset that has taken root within the EU. This is partly due to the presence of several former Soviet republics among EU members, where the political elites still carry remnants of a Soviet mentality that now appears to be spreading within the Union itself,” said Papuashvili.

His remarks came in response to MEP Michael Gahler, who stated that “if Orban is blocking EU measures, executives from remaining member states should take measures against Ivanishvili’s regime.”