fr flag go to the original language article
This article has been translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The news agency is not responsible for the content of the translated article. The original was published by AFP.

Georgia: President Zurabishvili criticizes Europe’s “slowness” in response

by AI | 18.Dec 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The President of Georgia, breaking with the Tbilisi government, lamented on Wednesday Europe’s reaction to the political crisis in her country, which she deemed too slow.

Georgian President Salomé Zourabichvili (left) speaks with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola as she arrives to address a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on December 18, 2024. (Photo: FRÉDÉRIK FLORIN / AFP)

European Parliament (Strasbourg, France) – The pro-western Georgian president, Salomé Zourabichvili, criticized on Wednesday the ‘slowness’ of Europe’s reaction and called upon it to act ‘more’ in response to the political crisis in her country, in front of the MEPs gathered in plenary session in Strasbourg.

Georgia, a former Soviet republic, has been experiencing a crisis since the ruling party, the Georgian Dream, claimed victory in the legislative elections on October 26.

The government, accused of authoritarian pro-Russian tendencies, decided at the end of November to suspend all EU accession negotiations until 2028.

“Europe took too long to wake up and react,” said Salomé Zourabichvili, who had announced that she would refuse to resign as planned on December 29, as long as new legislative elections were not organized.

She called on Europe to “fight against lies and misinformation” and to support “the call for new elections,” after the October 26 legislative elections were described as rigged by the pro-European opposition, which has been protesting for several weeks in the streets of the capital. (December 18, 2024)