Prepared by Messenger Staff
Germany Condemns Papuashvili's Accusations, Warns of Damage to Bilateral Relations
The German Federal Foreign Office has strongly rejected claims made by Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, describing his accusations as baseless and harmful to bilateral ties.
"We are worried that by spreading disinformation and divisive narratives, he is actively undermining Germany-Georgia relations," the Foreign Office said in a statement released by its spokesperson and shared by the German Embassy in Tbilisi on Facebook. The statement stressed that "the German Ambassador in Tbilisi represents the position of the Federal Government."
Berlin also denounced what it called "continuing aggressive rhetoric by representatives of the Georgian Dream towards the German Ambassador," urging Georgian officials to refrain from spreading "false narratives regarding EU and German positions and policies" and to "change its current political course."
The response followed remarks Papuashvili made earlier this week on social media, where he accused the German ambassador of backing violent groups. According to the parliamentary speaker, the so-called "titushky," allegedly supported by the ambassador, attacked the ruling party's Tbilisi headquarters three times while chanting extremist slogans. Papuashvili called the ambassador's actions "an example of gross interference in the elections" and claimed they violated the Vienna Convention.
Germany dismissed these allegations outright, warning that such statements risk straining relations between the two countries at a sensitive political moment.
Zourabichvili Says She Remains Legitimate President in the Eyes of Georgian People
The 5th President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has declared that she continues to see herself as the country's legitimate leader in the eyes of the citizens. Speaking in an interview with U.S. outlet NPR, she said the ruling Georgian Dream party is steering the country onto an anti-democratic path beginning in 2022.
"The question is always: is this something that we did not notice earlier, and could we have stopped it from the beginning? I would say that the real change occurred in 2022," Zourabichvili said. She linked the shift to the war in Ukraine, arguing that the Georgian government sided with Moscow by refusing to join Western sanctions. She also pointed to speeches by Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, who accused Western partners of pushing Georgia into conflict with Russia.
Zourabichvili stressed that she continues to enjoy popular legitimacy despite leaving office.
"I am the legitimate president in the eyes of the Georgian people," she said. According to her, this rests on two foundations: representing the public's commitment to a pro-Western course since independence, and embodying what she described as a widespread desire for greater unity among the opposition.
