Georgia’s parliamentary speaker renewed his criticism of the European Union, urging citizens to heed the Georgian Orthodox Church rather than Brussels.
Shalva Papuashvili was commenting on a Christmas message by Patriarch Ilia II, who warned that the “abuse of freedom of speech” had become one of the greatest challenges of modern times.
In his epistle on January 7th, the patriarch said only those who followed truth through patience and forgiveness could overcome the misuse of free expression. Papuashvili endorsed the message, arguing that “balance and harmony” had been lost under what he described as a distorted form of liberalism imposed on other countries.
The Speaker also praised the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump for cutting funding for what he called “pseudo-ideologies” and said speech should not be “fetishised”.
Papuashvili also accused European diplomats and donor organisations of encouraging hatred and verbal attacks in Georgia, claiming the country had been treated as a testing ground for harmful ideas.
The comments reflect threats to the country’s EU candidate status and visa-free travel. Relations between Georgia and the EU have deteriorated sharply over the past two years following restrictive legislation, police violence against protesters, and the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections. In late 2024, the government postponed EU accession talks until 2028, triggering mass protests that were met with arrests and further legal restrictions.
The EU has since described Georgia as a “candidate country in name only”, warning that democratic backsliding could jeopardise its visa-free travel regime. Despite this, the ruling Georgian Dream party insists it still seeks EU membership, though on its own terms.
