Papuashvili Urges EU Ambassador to Lower His Tone

Shalva Papuashvili, a representative of Georgian Dream, "recommends" that the EU ambassador to Georgia, Päivi Hertshinski, "lower his tone". His irritation was caused by the ambassador's press conference yesterday, which addressed Georgia in the EU enlargement report for 2026.

"Yesterday we saw Mr. Hertshinski's briefing, where he talked about some recommendations, and the first recommendation I want to give him is to lower his tone. A diplomat accredited here should not speak to the Georgian government in an aggressive, aggressive, pretentious and lecturing tone. This would be my recommendation, to lower the tone," Papuashvili told journalists.

Papuashvili responded to the ambassador's reply regarding Irakli Kobakhidze's statement on dialogue. According to the EU ambassador, to restore trust and dialogue, which Kobakhidze called for in Brussels, it is necessary to stop the disinformation campaign against the EU and release those unfairly detained. Hertshinski explained that dialogue is part of the EU's DNA, but "Georgian Dream" has emptied it of content.

Papuashvili said: "Second, part of this tone was, yesterday he said that we should have dialogue on the global war party, 'deep state,' do you seriously mean this?! You saw this yesterday. So what should we have dialogue about? His head, Marta Kos, said that Russia won in Georgia, seriously?! Should we have dialogue on whether Russia won here or not? Should there be dialogue on this? If Hertshinski declared that Georgia is returning to its dark past, seriously?! Should we talk about whether we are returning to the dark past or not? What should we have dialogue about, that he came to the Justice Minister in 2022 or 2023 with a false demarche, saying that Saakashvili is dying? Should there be dialogue on this?"

Papuashvili "advised" the ambassador to leave the "condescending tone" at the embassy.