“Everything we have been saying about Brussels’ regression in values has now been confirmed, affirmed, and supported by the United States — the main guarantor of the stability and security of the European Union,” writes the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili.

According to him, without large-scale political changes, the EU will find itself on the brink of “civilizational destruction.”

He states that the disregard for values has never been as visible, obvious, and damaging as it has been in the European Union’s policy toward Georgia in recent years.

“Political changes in Brussels are inevitable.

Everything we have said about Brussels’ regression in values has now been confirmed, affirmed, and supported by the United States — the main guarantor of the EU’s stability and security. Without massive political changes, the EU will find itself on the brink of ‘civilizational destruction,’ as stated in the U.S. security strategy.

This civilizational abyss primarily concerns the core European values that the EU bureaucracy openly disregards today. Moreover, this disregard for values has never been as evident, obvious, and harmful as it has been in the EU’s policy toward Georgia over the past few years.

Support for violence, attempts to change the government from the outside, ignoring national sovereignty, placing foreign-funded organizations above the will of the Georgian people, choosing conflict over peace and stability, disrespect for majority rule in favor of the political minority’s dictate — these are the clear characteristics of the EU’s damaging approach toward Georgia.

The irresponsible policy of the current EU leadership has dragged the Union into a deep, growing, and systemic crisis, resulting in an unprecedented weakening of the EU’s position in global geopolitics. Brussels has become practically isolated because of its ideology-based foreign policy, made even worse by the major corruption scandal in Ukraine.

The suppression of freedom of speech under the pretext of protecting freedom of expression has shocked not only a large portion of Europe’s population, but the whole world. The decline of the European economy has deepened public disappointment in governments. Most importantly, the EU bureaucracy’s short-sighted attitude toward European values has triggered a crisis of Europe’s cultural identity, further strengthening the significance of traditional and patriotic political forces.

Unfortunately, Brussels’ reaction to the crisis resembles an escape from reality rather than readiness for action. The recent statements made by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, clearly show that Brussels does not recognize the real scale of its civilizational crisis, increasing the risk that the European Union will remain ‘European’ only in name.

Now that the United States has loudly warned the people of Europe about the looming abyss, Europe must understand for whom this alarm bell tolls.

The reason for the alarm is clear — Europe’s political leadership has drifted away from the interests of Europe’s peoples. The solution is singular — Europe’s governments must listen to their own people and act according to their will so that the EU may regain the democratic spirit without which its existence loses meaning.

For us, what matters is not a divided, formless, self-conflicted Europe, but a united, free, and peaceful Europe,” writes Papuashvili.