Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has once again described EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski as a “tragic figure,” saying his situation is even more tragic than that of former EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell. Speaking to journalists, Kobakhidze claimed both diplomats had been forced to act against the Georgian people.
Kobakhidze accused Herczynski of interfering directly in Georgia’s democratic elections, making statements against the government and in support of the radical opposition and what he called unconstitutional parties, as well as encouraging violence in the country. He said Herczynski was being made to act against the Georgian people, just as Hartzell had been during his tenure.
The prime minister also said the Georgian government was merely responding to what he described as “unsubstantiated accusations” from European diplomats. He argued that criticism of the government amounted to an attack on the Georgian people because the government had been elected by them. “We never initiate critical statements; they say something, often in a completely shameful and unsubstantiated manner, and we have to respond,” Kobakhidze said.
Herczynski recently said the European Commission’s 2026 Enlargement Report showed that Georgia’s EU integration process had been de facto halted due to democratic backsliding and the government’s political choices and repressive legislation. He also stressed that the EU continued to support the Georgian people’s European aspirations and Georgia’s territorial integrity, adding that the country’s European path would remain open if the government changed course and returned to democratic principles.
