Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has severely criticised how funding from the European Union is being implemented in Georgia saying that ministers from European Union Member States and EU Commissioners are making unjustified critical statements about Georgia while hatred, violence, and propaganda are being encouraged in the country with EU funding. According to the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Papuashvili said he was troubled by the narrative heard from various ministers from EU Member States before the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 23rd June claiming that “disinformation is being spread about some alleged democratic backsliding or walking the wrong path”.
He said this was disinformation, “which EU representatives from various structures should, by rule, be fighting against and not, conversely, be engaged in spreading disinformation”. The Parliament Speaker added that he has expectations that relevant EU structures will finally realise what European values truly are: “Today, we see that hatred, propaganda, and violence in Georgia are financed by sources stemming from the EU budget. I have repeatedly addressed the EU Embassy to distance itself from the hatred campaign, violence, and propaganda originating from people it finances. Everyone observes that some EU country ambassadors, or the EU Ambassador himself, speak a lot, yet never, I emphasise, never, have they condemned the incitement of hatred, violence, and propaganda by people they finance”.
The Public Broadcaster also quoted Papuashvili saying that there is a motivation to encourage through their own silence and non-condemnation the hatred and propaganda campaign that is today financed with money stemming from the EU budget.
“We know that the U.S. analysed the harmful practices that USAID or other funds were engaged in, including financing hatred, violence, and propaganda, cancelled all this funding, and exposed U.S.-budget-funded organisations in hatred and propaganda campaigns”, he said.
“Today, essentially, only money coming from the EU or member countries remains, with which exactly this hatred and propaganda are being financed. Once again, I ask everyone to pay attention that in none of his statements has the EU Ambassador condemned, distanced himself from, or even criticised the hatred campaign, violence, and propaganda originating from people he finances, which, of course, accordingly represents encouragement of hatred, violence, and propaganda” Papuashvili said.
