Eric Fournier: “I got the impression that I was hearing the description of Neo Bolshevik state”

Salome Achba

For Georgian government the impression of ambassador of France Eric Fournier that Georgia is more like neo Bolshevik state than democratic, seemed unbelievable. Eric Fournier shared this comment on March 15th while presenting the outcomes of the research of seven different NGOs in the hotel Marriot.

The research of NGOs regarded the fulfillment of Georgia’s obligations undertaken under the frameworks of European Neighborhood Policy.

The representatives of parliamentary majority states that Fournier’s quotes were taken out of context. “I am sure this statement was taken out of context and is covered incorrectly by certain information sources. We need to accurate this. It would be good to double-check this information,” – advised the head of Parliament Committee of Foreign Relations Akaki Minashvili to Maestro journalist.

Maestro considered this advice and obtained Eric Fournier’s comment from the radio Liberty and fully translated it.

Here is the full version of the text under Maestro style:

Eric Fournier, Ambassador of France to Georgia: “It seems like all the efforts of the EU have been like pouring water in the sand, that we are making absolutely no progress, that ENP (European Neighborhood Policy) is NP but not European at all. Because what is left of the European values in what we heard? Almost nothing. Lack of freedom of media, total contempt for labor trade union, lack of progress in economy. It is a disaster. I’m afraid after hearing you I had the impression of getting a description of Neo Bolshevik state with absolutely no freedom. And when I heard that they arrest now young people for stealing 8 lari’s good and throw them in jail, it is absolutely scary. So I do hope that we are going to shake up our vision of this very gloomy picture that you gave us. It means for us European total reassessment of ENP. Maybe we should question the validity of what we have been  doing. We should start working in a different way because if it goes on like that the result of the ENP will be not only disappointing for Georgians, but as you just said the society will keep on ignoring the major orientation of the European way of Georgia. So I think it is about time we maybe organize more seminars of this kind but maybe in putting on the table the concrete steps to change the situation because what you have been just telling us, I’m sorry, is very depressing for any European citizen.”