Amb. Herczyński: A Completely New, “Heartbreaking” Reality

Paweł Herczyński, EU Ambassador to Georgia, said the decision by the ruling Georgian Dream to abort the country’s EU bid was “very regrettable,” “very deplorable,” and “heartbreaking.” “I think that all of us have woken up in a completely new reality,” Herczynski told journalists on November 29. 

The day before, Irakli Kobakhidze announced the GD’s decision to abort efforts to start accession talks with the EU and to refuse any EU budget support “until 2028.”

Amb. Herczynski reiterated that Georgia is responsible for deciding whether to pursue European integration while pointing out that “what has happened yesterday goes against the policy of the previous governments of Georgia…It also goes against the will of most Georgians.” 

“On our side, we have been very clear: We want Georgia to become a member of the European Union,” he said, lamenting Georgia’s backsliding on the EU path, as evidenced by the lack of progress and, in some cases, regression in the implementation of the EU’s nine steps, the adoption of laws that contradict EU principles, and the anti-EU rhetoric of the ruling party and the government. 

“We were waiting for the elections. We sincerely hoped that the elections would give a new impetus when it comes to the EU-Georgia relationships […] Unfortunately, there were serious irregularities […] And now, the announcement of yesterday that Georgia is stopping its EU accession efforts for the next four years, I think it is really, really regrettable,” he said. 

Amb. Herczyński did not respond directly to the journalist’s query about possible EU sanctions against the Georgian officials. He said the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting would discuss Georgia again on December 16, and “all options are on the table.”  

GD Accuses Amb. Herczyński of “Disinformation”

The Georgian Dream communication department’s official Facebook page promptly blamed the EU Ambassador for disinformation. Instead of “stopping” the EU integration as the Ambassador claimed, the GD propaganda page said, “The government emphasized that it is thoroughly following the implementation of the Association Agreement and would have fulfilled 90 percent of the agreement by 2028.” This statement is amplified by the TV and information channels loyal to GD.

Also Read:

• 22/10/2024 – EU Amb. Calls on Georgians to Vote, Talks EU-Georgia Relations
• 07/10/2024 – Herczyński: EC Recommendation to Open EU Accession Talks With Georgia “Highly Unlikely”
• 04/10/2024 – EU Amb. Herczyński Ties Georgia’s Future to Elections, Slams GD’s Propaganda
  
  
  

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