Georgia on Collision Course with EU Amid Diplomatic Firestorm

Tbilisi is escalating a diplomatic standoff with its European partners just a week before crucial municipal elections, pulling the Georgian government into a sharp conflict. The row intensified after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at the UN General Assembly, remarked that Europe had “lost” Tbilisi. This was followed by a joint statement from 25 EU member states and the United Kingdom, criticizing the government for discrediting their activities and urging all political leaders to refrain from fueling hostility within Georgian society.

The ruling “Georgian Dream” party has responded with defiance, publicly rebuking European ambassadors. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze dismissed Zelenskyy’s comments, stating, “He is the president of a country at war, so whatever statement he makes, I don’t think it’s necessary to react.” Kobakhidze went on to assert Georgia’s democratic superiority, claiming, “Georgia is the undisputed leader among EU candidate countries, including in terms of democracy and human rights,” a view not shared by many of the nation’s Western partners.

In a pointed move, the Georgian Foreign Ministry summoned German Ambassador Peter Fischer, a veteran diplomat who has become a symbol of European criticism for the ruling party due to his open condemnation of the government’s course and support for the opposition. The ministry expressed “concern over attempts to encourage a radical agenda within the country” and condemned the “politicization of judicial proceedings” and the participation of ambassadors in them. The joint statement from the European embassies was labeled as another act of “disinformation” and a “baseless attack on the government.”

Shortly after, the British Ambassador, Gareth Ward, who has also been a consistent critic of the “Georgian Dream” government, was also summoned to the Foreign Ministry. Prime Minister Kobakhidze defended the actions, declaring that the “direct participation of specific ambassadors in political processes is a gross violation of the principle of democracy and a gross violation of the principles of the Vienna Convention. This requires a response.”

To illustrate his claims of foreign coordination with local opposition, whom he brands as “agents,” Kobakhidze recounted an unusual anecdote involving criticism of the 18th-century Georgian king, Erekle II. He claimed that after an ambassador denigrated the king, a symbol of pragmatism and patriotism, a local “pseudo-thinker” was prompted to do the same, demonstrating a coordinated attack against national symbols by foreign patrons and their local allies. This rhetoric was echoed by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, who warned, “If there is even one act of violence on October 4 (election day), the responsibility will lie with the representatives of the EU institutions.”

Analysts are divided on the potential fallout. Political scientist Nino Skvortsova suggested the government’s patience had run out and it was defending itself from “absurd demands” from Brussels, while still leaving room for diplomatic maneuvering. However, analyst Nika Chitadze warned of a more severe deterioration in relations. He speculated that the “Georgian Dream” might declare critical ambassadors persona non grata and recall its own envoys, leading to a downgrade in diplomatic ties. “Of course, this will negatively affect the investment climate and humanitarian programs, but ‘Georgian Dream’ will strengthen its power,” Chitadze noted.