**Georgian Parliament Speaker Slams EU Over Visa-Free Travel Demands**
The European Union is once again putting the Georgian government in a difficult position, says Shalva Papuashvili, the country’s parliament speaker. In a statement to journalists, Papuashvili responded to a letter from the European Commission, which demands that the Georgian government implement eight recommendations.
According to Papuashvili, the EU is asking for something that has “no connection to European values.” He argues that Brussels is essentially demanding that the Georgian government adopt a false ideology, much like people who claimed the Earth was flat in Europe centuries ago. “We remember when people said the Earth was flat and those who said it wasn’t were burned at the stake,” Papuashvili said.
**The EU’s Demands**
The European Commission has issued several recommendations to the Georgian government, including:
1. Repealing a law that restricts LGBTQ rights.
2. Amending the National Human Rights Strategy and Action Plan to ensure full protection of the rights of LGBTQ individuals.
3. Providing information on the implementation of these recommendations or adopting appropriate measures to comply with them.
Papuashvili argues that these demands are akin to saying that a man can become a woman, which is essentially the same as claiming the Earth is flat. “This is not European values,” he said. “We have our own laws and traditions, and we will not compromise on them.”
**Transparency Concerns**
Another issue raised by Papuashvili concerns transparency. He claims that EU funds have been used in Georgia to finance radicalism, extremism, political parties, and partisan media. The Georgian government has documented this well, but Brussels is now trying to cover it up.
“Apparently, Brussels doesn’t want us to know where their money is going,” Papuashvili said. “We are part of Europe too. Brussels is trying to impose false ideologies on other societies.”
**A Call for EU Reforms**
Papuashvili’s statement highlights a deeper issue: the European Union has strayed from its founding values and principles. He calls on Brussels to return to respecting human rights and upholding the rule of law.
“We have been calling on them for so long to return to respecting human rights, to return to respecting the idea of a state based on the rule of law,” Papuashvili said. “Today, Brussels has strayed from the path on which the European Union was founded.”
**A Fact: The EU Violated International Law**
Finally, Papuashvili notes that it is acknowledged in the letter sent by Beate Gminder, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, that the suspension of visas for diplomatic and service passports was a violation of international law.
