Irakli Kobakhidze Addresses an Open Letter to Ursula von der Leyen, António Costa, and Roberta Metsola

Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, is addressing an open letter to the heads of European institutions — the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

Below is the full and unedited text of the Prime Minister of Georgia’s open letter:

“As you are aware, Georgia is a country founded on European values — a country where human dignity, humanism, freedom, and national identity are not merely declared principles, but values deeply rooted and shaped over centuries.

Historically, culturally, and in terms of values, Georgia is part of the European space and, at the same time, a candidate country for membership in the European Union that aspires to become a full member of the European family. Unfortunately, as a result of decisions made by the European bureaucracy regarding Georgia, political dialogue with our country was unilaterally suspended on your initiative, after which the discussion and cooperation formats proposed by us were repeatedly rejected. Given these circumstances, we are compelled to address you publicly through this open letter.

We have repeatedly emphasized that Georgia’s aspiration toward EU membership is not driven by a desire for formal integration. For our people, Europe is first and foremost a space of values — a civilizational choice made by our ancestors, founded on Christian morality, freedom, equality, respect for human rights, and democratic principles.

For us, the European Union is a common European civilizational space, a union that belongs not to any particular political figure, European leader, or Euro-bureaucrat, but to European peoples, including the Georgian people.

Against this backdrop, as part of European civilization and as an EU candidate country, we have questions regarding the alarming events that unfolded in the heart of Europe, in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, and which, we believe, have nothing in common with either Europe or European values.

Ms. Ursula, Mr. António, Ms. Roberta, we address you as representatives of the highest institutions of the European Union with the following question: how do you assess the violence that unfolded in Copenhagen, Denmark, where participants in a peaceful demonstration were first beaten with batons and later subjected to the use of dogs against them?

The deeply disturbing footage showing police brutally dispersing peaceful demonstrators clearly revealed an alarming reality to the international community: if for years Europe had been regarded as the benchmark for democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and expression, as well as other fundamental values, today an opposite trend is becoming increasingly apparent. The current situation raises the risk that Europe may become a model not for protecting these values, but for disregarding and grossly violating them.

For Georgia, as for any country committed to democratic values, both the violence witnessed in Copenhagen and the fact that the European Union no longer protects the fundamental principles upon which it was founded are categorically unacceptable.

Given all of this, it is natural that questions arise for you, including whether such violent actions are consistent with the standards of democracy and human rights that the European Union continuously emphasizes and toward which countries around the world have aspired.

As high-ranking officials of the European Union, where do you think Europe is heading amid processes associated with democratic backsliding, economic stagnation, migration crises, the diminishing of historical memory, the weakening of national and gender identities, and the erosion of public identity? How did Europe, which had long been considered an example of development, freedom, and democracy for the entire world, end up in such a deep values crisis, and in general, where is the European Union leading itself through this path?

It is a regrettable and alarming fact that today the European Union often disregards the natural, cultural, and historical foundations of society. There is a growing perception that the European space is gradually moving away from the principles that once made it a symbol of democracy and the protection of human rights worldwide.

Georgia, as a European country and an EU candidate country, expects a clear answer from you: what plan does the European Union have, in which direction are developments within the Union heading, and what will be the final outcome of these concerning processes — processes that are being discussed not only by us, but publicly by the populations and political leaders of other European countries as well?” — the open letter states.