The Bundestag's Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Michael Roth, delivered a speech at the rally held in Tbilisi, near the parliament building. He urged the demonstrators not to give up and appealed to the authorities to repeal the Russian law and "come back to Europe."
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Michael Roth's appeal:
“Tbilisi is the true capital of Europe and we are all proud of you. Your fight is our fight. And you can expect more from us than just the lip services.
Today one of the activists and one of the journalists was asking us, what should we tell the voters of Georgian Nightmare? My message and my answer is very simple. Please, dear Georgians, voters of Georgian Nightmare, listen to the young generation, listen to your kids. Listen to your sisters and brothers.
I know your heart is full of anger, but please, I would like to call Michelle Obama - “If they go low, we go high.”
Don’t believe in all these lies, in these conspiracy theories. We are not radicals. You are not radicals. You are just the European mainstream because you are fighting for what Europe really is. Democracy, freedom, liberty, rule of law.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to meet representatives of your government. We are not here just to send solidarity to you. We are also here to listen to each other. And our message to the government and to the ruling party is very clear. Stop this law! Come back to Europe!
We are here. We represent different parties, different generations, different experiences, different convictions. But we are all united as friends and allies of the Georgian people.
And that’s why I would like to ask you: Don’t give up! Believe in the strength of your ideas. Because other pro proud Europeans in the past tore down walls, they overcame hate and anger because they believe in freedom, liberty, and democracy. And you are the encouraging role models for all of us in Europe. Please, stay strong! Stay safe! And thank you all of you, I’m proud of you!”
On May 13-14, amidst the final reading of the Russian law in the parliament, the chairmen of the foreign affairs committees of the parliaments of Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, and Finland were in Tbilisi. However, the parliament chairman and government representatives declined to meet with them. The European colleagues were received only by the Parliament Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Nikoloz Samkharadze, and that too not in the Parliament, but in the Georgian Dream office.
On May 14, following the approval of the Russian Law, Michael Roth, Zhigimantas Pavilionis, Bogdan Klich, Pavel Fischer, and Sebastian Tinkinen attended the rally in front of the parliament and delivered speeches. In response, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze criticized them, accusing them of interfering in Georgia's internal affairs. "In front of the parliament building, we witness the transparency of foreign influence, as foreign politicians step onto the political stage. Imagine the scale of this intervention. Naturally, it is absolutely unacceptable for outsiders to attempt to interfere in Georgia's internal politics to benefit a collective national movement," Kobakhidze said.
