Khatia Shamanauri
Western diplomats are coming under unprecedented pressure from the Georgian Dream government, with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kohakhidze accusing EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski of backing an attempt to overthrow the constitutional order.
The European Union has categorically rejected and condemned disinformation about its role in Georgia, as well as personal attacks against the EU ambassador.
Many fear that under the Georgian Dream government, it will be difficult to establish positive relations with Western countries, leaving Georgia dependent on unreliable partners and increasing authoritarian influence in the region.
Relations between representatives of Western countries in Georgia and the Georgian Dream government have long been strained, with tensions escalating in recent months. Foreign diplomats have increasingly become targets of the Georgian government amid the pre- and post-election protests in Tbilisi. Georgian Dream officials accused EU representatives of supporting attempts to destabilize the country, prompting the European Union to dismiss the allegations as disinformation and personal attacks (see EDM, October 7).
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze held two briefings on October 4, hours after the police detained several people in connection with the attempted storming of the presidential palace following that day’s municipal elections. During his first appearance, Kobakhidze alleged that EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski supported the “announced attempt to overthrow the constitutional order” in Georgia (Radio Tavisupleba, October 5).
Later that night, during his second briefing, Kobakhidze reiterated his stance, claiming that “specific ambassadors, diplomats, and politicians bear direct responsibility to clearly distance themselves from the violence we witnessed yesterday” (Radio Tavisupleba, October 5). Kobakhidze emphasized the same message again a few days later during the television program “Night Courier.” “The public no longer follows the U.S. Ambassador or the EU ambassador blindly—and that is one of our main achievements,” said Kobakhidze (ImediNews, October 6).
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