“I try not to react to Georgian politicians’ tasteless and baseless attacks but now I was left no choice,” MEP Viola von Cramon has tweeted.

She responded to the yesterday’s statement made by Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Tea Tsulukiani on Imedi TV.

“I met Ms Tsulukiani when she was a young, aspiring politician and a lawyer. Sad to see how she radicalised over the years and is now spreading lies and disinformation.

Ms Tsulukiani knows best that I was and am one of the biggest critics of Saakashvili’s regime and fought for the right of Georgian people to democratically elect their government. Accusing me of colluding with UNM is a deliberate lie that no reasonably thinking person will believe.

Georgian Dream’s disinformation is reaching the Kremlin’s level. GD is not Georgia, criticizing GD is not the same as criticizing Georgia. This is why I call myself a Friend of Georgia, not a “Friend of GD”. Stop hiding behind the country’s good name. Take responsibility for YOUR failures.

It is not a “small group of politicians” that criticize democratic backsliding but the key politicians who determine the EU policy towards Georgia in the European Parliament and beyond. Check the signatures of the latest statements. Or wait for the next European Parliament resolution on Georgia.

These are by the way the same politicians who daily defend Georgia’s interests, who fought for Visa liberalisation, who fight for Georgia’s territorial integrity. Meanwhile, GD managed to deteriorate democracy and through back Georgia on media freedom from 60th to 89th place in 1 year.

I do not “interfere” in Georgia’s affairs. I am reminding you of the obligations you took and did not fulfil (April19). If you want to be taken seriously, stop breaking promises, stop harming Georgia’s fragile democracy. Fix judiciary, stop stealing microphones, stop hate and polarisation.

I’ve been a friend of Georgia (NOT its governments) for many years. Back then, I was taught a Georgian wisdom “criticize your friends to their faces and your foes behind their backs”. It is time for GD to learn how to handle the criticism and truth instead of throwing tantrums”, the German MEP tweeted.

source: IPN