Bundestag Delegation’s Visit to Georgia: With This Policy, You Can’t Join the European Union”
Georgia’s path to European integration is currently stalled until the “foreign agents’ law” is repealed and all of the European Commission’s recommendations are implemented. This was the key message from a delegation representing both the German government coalition parties and the main opposition party.
On September 6, four German MPs, representing the four major German political parties, held a press conference at the German Embassy in Tbilisi. The delegation included Jürgen Hardt (Christian Democrats), Nils Schmid (Social Democrats), Ulrich Lechte (Free Democrats), and Deborah Düring (Greens), who were visiting ahead of the upcoming elections. They discussed recent developments in Georgia and its European future.
All four politicians are members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, and each serves as their party’s spokesperson on foreign policy.
The first speaker, Nils Schmid of the Social Democrats — the largest faction in the Bundestag and the party of Chancellor Olaf Scholz — remarked, “It’s quite a rare occasion for all four of us to be together on an international visit.”
Schmid was referring to the decision of representatives from all three parties of Germany’s current ruling coalition and the largest opposition party to visit Georgia as a united delegation.
The German MPs delivered two main messages. First, they expect that the upcoming parliamentary elections in October will take place in a “fair and free” manner. Second, they emphasized that with the current policies of the ruling “Georgian Dream” party, Georgia will not be able to achieve European Union membership.
The delegation had sought to meet with Georgia’s Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament, but both declined due to their attendance at a graduation ceremony at Kutaisi International University. The university, located in Kutaisi, was founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of “Georgian Dream.”
Bidzina Ivanishvili Announces Agreement with Georgian Orthodox Church on Declaration of Orthodoxy as the State Religion
Amid conflicting statements from the Georgian Orthodox Church, Bidzina Ivanishvili, speaking at a Georgian Dream pre-election rally in Ozurgeti, announced that “consultations with the Church have been completed” regarding the declaration of Orthodoxy as the state religion.
The Georgian Dream party recently proposed the initiative to declare Orthodoxy as the state religion, but at a meeting held on August 29, the Patriarch and members of the Synod rejected this idea.
Ivanishvili also mentioned that Georgian Dream plans to propose a constitutional amendment after the elections to further strengthen the constitutional status of the Orthodox Church.
It’s important to note that the historical role of the Orthodox Church is already highlighted in Georgia’s current constitution.
“In recent days, we shared with you the constitutional amandment we plan to implement after securing a constitutional majority, and we mentioned that there was another issue that required consultation. The discussions with the Orthodox Church were successful, and we are ready to present another constitutional amendment that our political team will implement after the elections.
To further enhance the constitutional status of Orthodoxy and reflect the current reality more accurately, the role of Orthodoxy as a pillar of Georgian state identity will be clearly expressed in the Constitution. The special significance of the Orthodox Church in both the historical and contemporary life of Georgia will also be emphasized. Naturally, the Constitution of Georgia will fully guarantee the principles of the Church’s independence and the freedom of belief,” said Ivanishvili, the Honorary Chairman of Georgian Dream.
Despite Ivanishvili’s assurances, the Patriarchate offered a different view after the August 29 meeting. According to Reverend Daniel, Metropolitan of Chiatuai and Sachkhere, the issue of declaring Orthodoxy as the state religion was not even discussed during the meeting.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze Denies Accusations by US Senator Shaheen
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, refuted claims made by US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, accusing her of lying about their meeting, during which she alleged that he asked the US to stop funding critical non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“Unfortunately, I must make a strong statement. I did not make such a request during the meeting. This is an outright lie, and it saddens me that such falsehoods are being spread by someone who holds the esteemed position of a United States Senator. This is extremely unfortunate and concerning,” Kobakhidze told reporters in Kutaisi.
Senator Shaheen, in an interview with the National Journal, recounted her visit to Georgia, during which she claimed that in a meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze conveyed the request to the U.S. side “to stop funding all civil society organizations that might be critical of the Georgian Dream government.”
“They say it’s because of hardship, that they want to monitor the situation, but that’s not the case. It’s about suppressing civil society and silencing dissenting opinions altogether,” said Shaheen in the interview.
She further explained, “During our meeting with the prime minister, we discussed US-Georgia relations and expressed our concerns about the deteriorating relationship, as well as the Georgian Dream government’s reluctance to address these concerns. One of his requests was that we cease funding any civil society organizations that might be critical of the Georgian Dream government.”
Shaheen also noted that Congressman Turner had responded firmly, stating, “That’s the essence of democracy. It doesn’t involve suppressing dissent; it involves accepting criticism as part of the democratic process.”
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Congressman Mike Turner visited Georgia from August 9 to 11. During their visit, they met with President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, and representatives of several NGOs. However, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of “Georgian Dream,” declined to meet with them.