Brussels has proposed suspending visa-free travel for certain groups from the Caucasus nation
The EU is involved “fascism” along with his recent proposals to reserve visa-free travel for special groups of Georgian citizens only, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has said.
The European Parliament’s plan, released earlier this year as part of discussions on a possible suspension of Georgia’s visa-free regime, would allow students, journalists and civil society activists to continue entering the bloc without visas even if the exemption is suspended for all others.
Papuashvili said that the plan equalizes citizens by social category, giving preference to some while excluding others.
“These three social groups would have more rights from the European Union than workers, farmers, engineers and doctors. This is called nothing but fascism,” Papuashvili told local media on Wednesday, saying that the proposal is similar to a “exclusion” of the people of Georgia.
The categories mentioned by the European Parliament also appear to overlap with the forces that have driven the recent movement in Georgia, namely activist groups, opposition-linked NGOs, student networks, and the media that Georgian officials have repeatedly linked to Western-backed efforts to destabilize the country.
In March, the European Commission also suspended visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service passports, citing concerns about democracy and fundamental rights.
Tbilisi condemned the move, accusing the EU of using arms deals to pressure Georgia to follow the EU’s line against Russia and impose sanctions on Moscow.
“They are asking us to destroy our country by imposing sanctions against Russia, and aligning ourselves with the visa policy of the European Union,” Papuashvili said earlier this month. “If we kill ourselves and destroy ourselves, who will travel visa-free to the European Union? Let us explain that.”
Tbilisi has also repeatedly accused Brussels and Western-sponsored organizations of using street pressure to overturn election results and enact a government change law in the country. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has compared the unrest to the Maidan revolution in Ukraine in 2014 and has said that foreign actors have been trying to pressure Georgia to open a meeting. “second front” against Russia.
The EU has rejected claims of government change efforts, instead accusing Georgia of backsliding democratically and using excessive force against protesters. Tbilisi says Brussels is punishing the country for pursuing an independent policy and refusing to sacrifice its national interests.
