Kobakhidze's Remarks on EU Ambassador Draw Sharp Response from Brussels
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
The European Commission has strongly defended the EU Ambassador to Georgia following comments by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who accused diplomats of fueling radicalization in the country.
"Certain ambassadors, including, unfortunately, the EU ambassador, are directly engaged in fueling radicalization," Kobakhidze told reporters when asked about EU Ambassador Pawel Herczynski. According to him, some diplomats are "directly involved in processes that lead to the degeneration of certain individuals in this country."
Kobakhidze compared the situation to the rise of Bolsheviks in Georgia a century ago. "We are dealing with such processes; they want to cultivate such a breed of people in Georgia. You know, in due time, we adopted the transparency law, which was specifically aimed at countering such processes. Of course, in every direction, we will protect our country from such processes. When the EU ambassador is directly involved in such processes, it is, of course, very regrettable. This naturally has a negative impact on the image of the European Union in Georgia, and this is a very concerning phenomenon that we all must stand against," Kobakhidze stated.
In response, Anitta Hipper, the European Commission's spokesperson for foreign affairs and security, expressed full confidence in Ambassador Herczynski. "The EU Ambassador has our full confidence, and his words reflect the reality of Georgia-EU relations. Our message to the Georgian authorities is to stop attacking the ambassador for doing his job," she said.
Hipper also criticized what she described as disinformation efforts. "Unfortunately, what we see from Georgia is a massive attempt to spread disinformation, and this attack once again demonstrates that it distorts what is actually happening on the ground - repression and violence against innocent protesters, civil society, and politicians," she noted.
She emphasized that the EU's actions reflect the conduct of the Georgian authorities. "This all starts at the political level with an absolute reduction of our contacts, a significant reduction in financial support to the government, and, conversely, maintaining support for civil society," Hipper said.
Asked about the recent Defend Visa-Free protest in Tbilisi and accusations from Georgian Dream leaders who claimed Brussels would be responsible if Georgia's visa-free regime is suspended, Hipper underlined the EU's position. "There are two issues in this regard. First: the Georgian people have our full support. We stand by the Georgian people. Second: we do not participate in blame games. We want to see real steps and encouragement toward dialogue, first and foremost with civil society, and then we will consider what options are on the table regarding improving or not improving this relationship," she stated.
