Bidzina Ivanishvili never wanted Georgia to join the European Union, MEP Rasa Juknevičienė said during a discussion on human rights in Georgia at the European Parliament's Human Rights Subcommittee.

"It is very important to answer the question of why this is happening in Georgia. It is also extremely important for us to learn from experience. Georgia is not the only country where a power grab has occurred. My assessment is this: Bidzina Ivanishvili has never wanted Georgia to join the European Union, from the very first elections, when his party won in 2012. That is why he returned from Russia with billions to change Georgia's Euro-Atlantic course. His goals and those of Russia, that is, the Kremlin, coincide. Seizing state power and establishing authoritarian rule - such as we see in Belarus and Russia. This is not only the success of Bidzina Ivanishvili, but also the success of the Kremlin in the Eastern Partnership country. He and his party manipulated the Georgian people. He publicly said that he was a supporter of the European Union, but in practice he did the opposite. They managed to manipulate here too, in the European Parliament and the European Commission," said Rasa Juknevičienė .

According to her, “the EU policy until the 2024 elections, the attempt to cooperate with the Georgian Dream, might be necessary, but wrong, as it now appears.”

“It was wrong, just like in the case of Putin until 2022. Now the European Commission sees reality. This is reflected in the Commission’s 2025 report. I have a lot of criticism towards the member states. They have the power to change the EU policy. The issue of Georgia was discussed by the foreign ministers and I hope the approach will change, in particular, sanctions can be imposed on those responsible. Helping the struggling Georgian people means not forgetting them,” the MEP noted.