Macron Scolds Ivanishvili, Calls for Inclusive Dialogue

On December 11, French President Emmanuel Macron called the honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, both sides reported. The respective press releases paint a somewhat divergent picture.

French Official Press Release

According to the Presse Release of the French Presidency, Macron “condemned the intimidation of representatives of civil society and the opposition, as well as the violence perpetrated by the forces of law and order against peaceful demonstrators and journalists.”

He called for the release of all those who had been arbitrarily arrested, and for freedom of expression and assembly to be respected. He reiterated his regret that Georgia had deviated from its European trajectory, and reiterated his conviction that the relationship between the European Union and Georgia would necessarily be affected by the direction that had been or would be taken.

“President Macron called for an inclusive dialogue with all political formations and representatives of civil society, respecting the European and democratic aspirations of the Georgian people, which he once again welcomed,” the official French press release reads.

GD Press Release

According to the GD party’s press release, the conversation lasted one hour. The French President conveyed to Ivanishvili his “concern about the situation in Georgia” and expressed his “willingness to help resolve it.” Ivanishvili thanked Macron and supported the idea of joining efforts to de-escalate the situation, the press release says. The GD reports that Ivanishvili and Macron agreed to contact each other again in the coming days to assess the progress made.

Following the official release of Emmanuel Macron’s statement by the French government, the GD party published a post on Facebook offering additional information. The GD party confirmed that the French president “really” raised the issue of detained individuals. This was met with the response that most detainees were being held on administrative charges and would be released soon. The statement added that Ivanishvili told the French President that Georgia is a state of law and that people arrested on criminal charges will be held accountable according to legal standards. According to the post, during the telephone call, Bidzina Ivanishvili also stressed that the police had used a higher standard of force than European norms in responding to the violence of the demonstrators.

Background

The call follows Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili’s visit to France, where she met with Macron U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Georgian President said she had an in-depth discussion with President-elect Trump and President Macron, stating: “I exposed the stolen elections and the extremely alarming repression against the Georgian people. I emphasized the need for a strong United States. The Georgian people have a friend in Donald Trump. God bless the United States of America.”

Bidzina Ivanishivli is a French citizen.

Also Read:

• 10/12/2024 – Former GD Cabinet Member Slams Ivanishvili for “Treason”

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)