“They say you cannot step into the same river twice, but it appears certain foreign donors have decided to step right back into waters that brought them nothing good the first time,” Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili told journalists during a press briefing.

Papuashvili was asked to comment on the inclusion of the musician known as “Kordzi”, who previously insulted thousands of Georgian Dream voters, at a festival organised under the “Creative Compass Georgia” initiative, a four-year project funded by the European Union and co-financed by the Goethe-Institut Georgia in partnership with the Danish Cultural Institute.

The Parliamentary Speaker expressed deep regret that support for radicalism and extremism in Georgia continues unabated under the guise of cultural and civil society funding.

“From the Bakhmaro meeting to the financial backing of Armaz Akhvlediani’s political project, these instances reveal that far from learning their lesson or drawing constructive conclusions, foreign entities are actively continuing to finance radicalism and extremism in Georgia. When European Union money is spent funding extremists, and from what I have seen, this individual is the author of fascist slogans, it constitutes a direct encouragement of extremism, radicalism, and fascism within our country. This is an undeniable fact.

We are witnessing European taxpayers’ money being deployed in Georgia to bankroll groups and individuals harbouring fascist ideology. This represents a civilizational chasm, the very divide the United States cautions the European Union against, where, simply to achieve political objectives in another sovereign state, entities directly finance extremists, radicals, and proponents of fascist ideologies. We must accept this reality for what it is.

I do not expect anyone in Brussels to respond to this issue, as they remain indifferent to the Georgian public’s reactions and stance. They have a pre-determined agenda focused on destabilising Georgia, as demonstrated by the European Commission spokesperson’s backing of the 4 October overthrow attempt. They are adhering strictly to that plan. They care nothing for what happens here, just as they cared nothing for the potential bloodshed on 4 October, when 7,000 Georgian citizens were pushed toward violence supported by the European Commission. It remains a factual reality that European funding, channelled through these organisations, actively sustains those embedding extremism, radicalism, and fascist rhetoric in Georgia,” Papuashvili concluded.