Nona Kurdovanidze: The statement by Russia's intelligence service aims to discredit the European Union and the ideas that are part of Georgia's Constitution

Nona Kurdovanidze, Chairperson of the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA), assessed Russia's intelligence service's statement, which claimed that "the European Union is ready to pay Georgian youth – €120 per day for each participant in anti-government protests," saying that its purpose is to discredit the European Union and the ideas that are part of Georgia's Constitution.

According to Kurdovanidze, this once again confirms the crisis and the reality the country is facing.

"When we see that Russian propaganda is spreading such disinformation, and it then spreads within the Georgian space through relevant propaganda channels, it means that this has the sole aim of discrediting, including the European Union and the ideas that are part of Georgia’s Constitution. This once again confirms the crisis and the reality in which we find ourselves. There is no substantive discussion or debate anymore on how Georgia could become a member of the European Union in the near future. Everything now revolves around how the ‘Georgian Dream’ can maintain its power in the country when a large portion of the population is protesting against it, and there is a legitimacy problem with the Parliament," said Nona Kurdovanidze.

This statement was made by Nona Kurdovanidze during a media event at the "Tbilisi Marriott," where an event titled "Georgia and the European Union: Now What?" was held with the support of the European Union. According to her, the “Georgian Dream” has openly stated that the EU integration process has been halted.

"We have talked a lot about the importance of EU integration for Georgia, the steps that need to be taken, but everyone knows the current situation in Georgia. The ‘Georgian Dream’ has openly declared that the process has been halted, which has triggered a massive protest wave, and society continues to protest this on the streets. In such a situation, talking about Georgia moving towards the EU is completely unnecessary. We are seeing daily deterioration in legislative regulations, worsening independence of institutions, and worsening practices. Under these conditions, Georgia, of course, cannot become a member of the European Union. If the ‘Georgian Dream’ listens to the will of the overwhelming majority of Georgia's population, this is the path that reflects the people's will and is enshrined in the Constitution. Therefore, the way out of the crisis the country is in – politically, legally, and constitutionally – is to hold new elections and release political prisoners. This is what the people demand in the street protests," Nona Kurdovanidze stated.