Politics

EU Official Denies Making Threats to Georgian Prime Minister

Published MAY 24 2024

Story

Above: Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidse arrives to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Chancellery on April 12, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Image credit: Sean Gallup/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

Relations between the EU and Georgia took a turn for the worse on Thursday after Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused a top EU official of making threats and seeking to intimidate him — allegations that were denied by the bureaucrat.
Politico
It comes amid already thawed relations between the EU and Georgia as the country looks poised to pass its version of a foreign agents bill — a law that would require media and non-governmental institutions to register as entities pursuing foreign interests if more than 20% of their funding comes from abroad.
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In a Facebook post on Thursday, Kobakhidze said that in a call with an EU official, who was not named, that he was reminded of the steps Western officials could take if the law were to pass. That included, the prime minister alleged, a reference to his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico — who recently survived an assassination attempt — warning him to "be very careful."
Politico
Soon after, Olivér Várhelyi, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, identified himself as the official involved and acknowledged the reference to Fico, stating: "I would like to express my very sincere regret that a certain part of my phone conversation was taken out of context."
European Commission
He added that given the "very strong pro-EU sentiment" in Georgia, he felt the need to draw attention to the "importance not to enflame further the already fragile situation by adopting this law which could lead to further polarisation and to possible uncontrolled situations on the streets of Tbilisi."
European Commission
"I regret that one part of my phone call was not just fully taken out of context but was also presented to the public in a way which could give rise to a complete misinterpretation of the originally intended aim of my phone call," Várhelyi said, adding that he still urges Georgian authorities not to pass the law.
European Commission

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

This was not a threat by the EU commissioner. It was simply stated that in these already volatile times in Georgia, moving forward with this controversial bill would only pour flames on the fire and could realistically lead to the regrettable violence that was recently witnessed in Slovakia. The commissioner's words were distorted and placed out of context.

European Commission

Establishment-critical narrative

Even in the face of existing blackmail by EU officials, alluding to the assassination attempt on the Slovak prime minister was a shocking new low. Nonetheless, it provides even more evidence that the Global War Party would like nothing more than to create the same revolution in Georgia as it did in Ukraine in order to open up another front against Russia.