“We have heard Michael Roth (a member of the German Bundestag) attacking the Georgian church (GOC), frivolous politicians attack the Georgian church not acknowledging what they do to their country’s image in Georgia. Such politicians can sacrifice societies for confrontation and unrest to take selfies. We do not want to equate such politicians with Europe,” said Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

According to the Speaker, the countries should react to the behaviour of representatives of the EU’s five countries.

“We witnessed a regrettable fact yesterday when parliament members and committee chairs of foreign countries joined the anti-government rally. This was the best illustration of foreign influence. We saw foreign actors at the rally organized by the NGOs financed by them and addressing the protesters. This is a whole circle of the foreign influence’s wrong side.

Imagine the Georgian government financing NGOs in Germany, which organizes a demonstration, and Foreign Relations Committee Chair Nikoloz Samkharadze arrives in Germany and calls the ruling party a nightmare, what the chairs of Lithuanian and German Bundestag’s foreign committees did yesterday. What would be the response to Nikoloz Samkharadze in Berlin or Vilnius? What would happen to those NGOs, which funders appear at the rally? This is an absurd scheme. This is what Europeans do in Georgia. It was alarming on the part of these two people,” he said.

Shalva Papuashvili noted that the attack on the Georgian church was distressing.

“We have heard Michael Roth attacking the Georgian church. This is regrettable. You know about my special connections with German aid to Georgia, 30-year aid so much respected by the Georgian people and such frivolous politicians destroy this respect in one move. They attacked the Georgian church without acknowledging what they did to their country’s image in Georgia. When their representatives are associated with the attack on the Georgian church and the government elected by the people. Such politicians can sacrifice societies for confrontation and unrest to take selfies. We do not want to equate such politicians with Europe,” he said.

On May 14, Chairmen of foreign affairs committees of five EU member states visiting Georgia arrived at the Rustaveli Avenue rally and addressed the protesters. Michael Roth, Chairman of the German Bunderstag’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said at the press conference: “How will you be able to create a better future without a future generation, only with the Orthodox Church which is the closest ally of the ruling party? Well, try to do that.”