Germany’s Foreign Ministry has hit back against attacks on its ambassador, Peter Fischer, by Georgia’s parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili, saying the ministry ‘firmly rejects and condemns the baseless accusations by Mr. Papuashvili’.
‘We are worried that by spreading disinformation and divisive narratives he is actively undermining Germany–Georgia relations. We firmly reject the continuing aggressive rhetoric by representatives of the Georgian Dream [party] towards the German Ambassador’.
Germany also urged ‘Georgian authorities to stop spreading false narratives regarding EU and German positions and policies and to change its current political course’.
Papuashvili has repeatedly accused Fischer of supporting ‘extremist’ activists, who he blamed for instigating violence earlier this week outside of the Georgian Dream campaign headquarters in Tbilisi, where protesters had gathered to demonstrate against Mayor Kakha Kaladze, who is running for a third term. Several people were injured in the chaos as supporters of the ruling party attacked demonstrators.
Papuashvili criticised Fischer, a longtime target of Georgian Dream, for his ‘failure to condemn violence’, a charge that Papuashvili said was indicative of ‘gross interference in the elections’.
The allegation against Fischer appears to be based on a recent video that he recorded for the Iliauni students movement, a protest group, in which Fischer spoke about the benefits that joining the EU would offer Georgia.
Papuashvili and others have repeatedly smeared Fischer for his connections to the students movement, including after the German Foreign Ministry’s statement.
Since the ruling party’s election office opened in Tbilisi on 3 September, it has been the site of tense standoffs between protesters and ruling party supporters.
On the evening of the opening ceremony, in one of several confrontations, a Georgian Dream youth leader was filmed spitting on several protesters and a journalist.
Local elections are scheduled to take place on 4 October, with most opposition parties boycotting the vote, insisting the government intends to rig it.
Yousef Bardouka
