Europe has nothing to beg from us so that Georgia must at all costs become a member of the European Union. Our task is somehow to break through this Russian space and be with those countries where people live normally, peacefully and well, - this was stated by Gigi Tsereteli, Chairman of “European Georgia,” on the PalitraNews program “Day’s Newsroom.”

He assessed Irakli Kobakhidze’s planned visit to Paris, as well as Shalva Papuashvili’s visits to Belgium and Luxembourg, and also the statements by the Speaker of Parliament directed at Brussels, noting that if they are going to European countries to criticize the European Union, this will be fruitless.

“The main story is what will happen tomorrow? Where is ‘Georgian Dream’ heading? What result should there be for ordinary people? I am not and never was a supporter of complete isolation. Under conditions of complete isolation, if thoughtless people are running the country, what drives them is not how they will remain in history as a group in power in this country, but rather how much they will create and how much they will enrich themselves - and that is the main instrument. From the very beginning, those who plan everything think that everything can be done with money - if it cannot be done with money, then it can be done with a lot of money. They are moving in this direction, and in such a case talking about any ideals is superfluous. Coming and going is conjunctural, just as letters sometimes arrive. Such a letter is also received by a representative of the Georgian authorities, by Burundi, by Samoa, and perhaps by Nauru as well. It is good that they are going. It is good that they are still being spoken to. This is to a certain extent also an advance, because Europe has nothing to beg from us so that Georgia must at all costs become a member of the European Union. Our task is somehow to break through this Russian space and be with those countries where people live normally, peacefully and well,” - Gigi Tsereteli stated.

In his assessment, chances still exist for Georgia to become a member of the European Union, but for this reforms need to be carried out.

“Everyone wants the population of Georgia to live peacefully and develop. There are many examples of what the European Union has brought; we have been talking about this for years, but the leaders of ‘Georgian Dream,’ including Papuashvili who is now traveling to Europe, are precisely in the vanguard of anti-Western propaganda. This requires a response, a lot of explanation, which is what democratic parties, civil society and the media are doing. Membership in this special team has its conditions. These conditions have been explained to us many times, we have been given deadlines many times; first one ‘yellow card’ was shown, then a second; they do not want to expel Georgia from the field, but these people are doing everything so that this happens. After that they blame everything on others and justify themselves with Russia out of fears or obligations. The chance for European integration still exists, but if this delegation is going in order to say - ‘you are no good, you treat us badly and we do whatever we want, you must accept us as we are’ - of course this will not work. Unless it is conceived that in the end everything becomes so aggravated that visa liberalization is no longer there, other restrictions are imposed and Georgia falls out completely,” - Tsereteli stated.

In addition to this issue, he also assessed the statement by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos that “candidate countries must sever ties with Donald Trump’s MAGA movement in order to join the European Union.”

Gigi Tsereteli considers that this statement was incorrect.

“I cannot take the side of ‘Georgian Dream,’ but I also do not consider this a politically correct statement. A different language could be used when such a call is made from such a high-level tribune. In any case, the source of this is probably the moment and the tension that exists in this case. At this moment the candidate countries are the Balkan countries, and the integration of Ukraine and Moldova is taking place very rapidly.

‘Georgian Dream’ will again confront the European Union and will try to capitalize on the US and the European Union. Unfortunately, nowhere is there a situation like the one in Georgia. There is neither this level of corruption, nor this many political prisoners, nor such legislation, nor such lack of prospects. Therefore these conditions will need to be moved forward and fulfilled. When Mr. Papuashvili arrives in Europe, I am sure they will remind him of this. I advise him not to waste time in vain,” - Gigi Tsereteli stated.

At the same time, he also spoke about the letters published by former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili and stated that this is “revolutionary paranoia” that occurs in authoritarian regimes.

“If we look at all this through a prism and see it in the reality that we live under the conditions of a quasi-, autocratic, in some directions dictatorial, completely oligarchic system and regime, then all this is easier to explain. Such systems imply this by themselves. Here no decision-making takes place, no building of state institutions, no consideration of state interests; everything is adjusted to oligarchic, ‘clan’ interests, so that the government must be staffed on the basis of personal loyalty, and in key places there must be people who are loyal to this system or to a specific person. Corruption is permitted there, but it is controlled. Rising above a certain level brings punishment. There is a constant threat that internal markets will not appear, which always appear under such systems. People develop professional and moral dilemmas because they see that injustice is taking place. I am sure that many supporters of ‘Georgian Dream’ do not like either the deviation from the European Union, or the attempt at collaboration with Russia, or this level of corruption, when many of them may be hungry and see that their ‘bosses’ are dividing billions, and then if someone does not bring ‘his share,’ they imprison him, and so on. Therefore we are now observing this. This is not an indicator of a strong government. It is an attempt by a regime that is in a mode of weakening to strengthen itself. These are signs of disintegration and weakening.

Irakli Gharibashvili has really become a victim of the system he himself created. He is the bearer of a huge amount of information. Now he is trying to damage this system. This is an internal struggle that will bring them nothing good. I think it is yet another clear example of a significant downward slide,” - Gigi Tsereteli stated.

As for the situation in the opposition political field, Gigi Tsereteli does not agree with the confrontation existing between the parties. In his assessment, this causes hopelessness in society.

“I look badly on confrontation. A lot of things go from the personal to major conflicts. We must understand that we are living in a very important historical period, without any pathos. This political establishment, the political part, together with civil society, can achieve a historical victory. If we let this slip from our hands, then history is very unjust, politics can also be very unjust, and you will never catch up with it; other people will necessarily appear. If you have a claim, you are a participant, but if you let everything be ruined by insulting one another, this causes frustration in people. I am not cursing anyone; I really do not like it and will never support it. They may be my friends, but neither is it good to start this. When we pick at something under a clear sky, we build unity; when we all sit at the table, we make an introduction - ‘we do not like each other, but for Georgia we will still be together’ - after that you start recalling things, shouting, and then we enter that labyrinth from which it becomes very difficult to get out. What can I call for; I say this every day. I may interfere less publicly in this matter, but all of this must end,” - Tsereteli stated.