On May 16, pro-government media outlets: Imedi (1,2), POSTV, Newshub, Kvira, Reporter, and Marchalpress disseminated a quote from the statement made by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis: “Do you understand what membership means? You are to surrender part of sovereignty; that’s how the system works, and part of sovereignty, as I’ve told you, is transferred into the hands of Brussels.”
Imedi’s webpage has published Landsbergis’s statement in full, although there is no link to it in the cards posted on Facebook.
Mikheil Kavelashvili, a member of the People’s Power party, commented on the statement of Gabrielius Landsbergis. According to Kavelashvili, giving up sovereignty may mean surrendering the occupied territories: “We might be told to forget about the occupied territories as we would not be able to get them back, and, in return, we will become a member of the EU – do we agree to that? We should ask the opinion of society about this too.” Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze also commented on the Lithuanian Foreign Minister’s statement and said, “we are not going to cede our sovereignty.”
Claiming that Landsbergis called on Georgia to give up its sovereignty, the anonymous anti-opposition account Terenti Gldaneli and Facebook users (1,2,3) disseminated a short segment of a video of the minister’s statement.
Landsbergis’ quote is being disseminated in a manipulative way and creates the impression that the EU demands that Georgia give up its sovereignty and independence. The quote is real but taken out of context, as it is clear from the minister’s full statement that he is talking about the obligations on the path towards EU membership, which Georgia, like other EU members, must fulfill; he cites the matter of trade as an example of surrendering part of sovereignty, as this is an EU competence and the decision is taken at the supranational level.
The quote by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is only a tiny fragment from his long statement and is spread manipulatively, out of context.
Landsbergis touched upon the topic of sovereignty in a response to a question from a Financial Times journalist during a joint press briefing of the foreign ministers of Estonia, Lithuania, and Iceland. According to the journalist, against the backdrop of repeated warnings by European leaders and Brussels that Georgia’s path to European integration will be blocked if it adopts the so-called law on agents, there is an opinion that that’s exactly what the ruling party of Georgia wants, and that this plays into the hands of the ruling party, as they do not want to integrate into the EU. The journalist asked the European leaders what their take was on this opinion.
Answering this question, Landsbergis raised the topic of sovereignty.
Gabrielius Landsbergis: “We’ve been told throughout the day that there is a very important question about sovereignty, that each country has the right to make its own laws, and no other country can forbid that country from making these laws. We had to make it very clear that we are not encroaching and forcing anything, but there is a path that countries have taken – some countries even in the vicinity here, in the Southern Caucasus. These countries have clearly said that they have no interest in doing anything with the EU. Let’s take Azerbaijan, which is part of the Eastern Partnership, and we have been negotiating a treaty with them for quite a while. Nobody is forcing Azerbaijan to adopt any laws, but are they on the path to the EU? No, they are not.
So, when you go on that path, if you decide to walk that road, then there are certain obligations while you are going there. Honestly, the first steps are not difficult; it will get tougher down the road. We went through it. It is not easy because, down there, you are really talking about sovereignty. Trade is an issue that you give away, and it is a complete competence of the EU Commission.
I am not sure whether we are really on the same page when it comes to understanding what it does entail to be a member. You actually give away part of your sovereignty. That’s how it works. […] The United Kingdom decided that it needed all the sovereignty and all the mandate, that nothing should go to Brussels, and they brexitted. That’s an option. We leave it to our thinking whether it is a good decision or bad decision for ourselves, but it is an option. Again, you cannot have both things. It just does not work like that.”
The circulation of the above-cited excerpt from this statement by Landsbergis gives the impression that the EU is demanding that Georgia give up its sovereignty. The circulated quote omits the example of trade given by the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, which clearly shows that EU membership is subject to certain conditions.
Some matters in the EU, including trade, cited by Landsbergis as an example, are decided at the supranational level.
What does the transfer of part of sovereignty mean?
The Treaty of Lisbon outlines the division of competences between the European Union and its member states. These competences are divided into three main types: exclusive competences of the EU, shared competences, and supporting competences.
The EU’s exclusive competences include areas in which it is the prerogative of the EU to adopt and implement legally binding acts. These are:
- customs union
- the establishing of competition rules necessary for the functioning of the internal market
- monetary policy for euro-area countries
- conservation of marine biological resources under the common fisheries policy
- common commercial policy.
Under shared competences, both the EU and its Member States adopt legally binding acts. These areas include:
- internal market
- social policy (but only for aspects specifically defined in the treaty)
- economic, social and territorial cohesion (regional policy)
- agriculture and fisheries (except conservation of marine biological resources)
- environment
- consumer protection
- transport, trans-European networks
- energy
- areas of freedom, security and justice
- common safety concerns in public health matters
- research, technological development and space
- development cooperation and humanitarian aid.
The supporting competences include the areas in which the EU can only intervene to support decisions taken by its Member States. Legally binding EU acts do not require the harmonization of the laws of the Member States in these areas. These areas are:
- protection and improvement of human health
- industry
- culture
- tourism
- education, vocational training, and sport
- civil protection
- administrative cooperation.
In addition, the EU has a common foreign and security policy, where the decision-making body is the European Council, which comprises the leaders of the EU member states, and decisions are taken unanimously and, save in exceptional cases, require the agreement of all EU countries.
In his statement, Landsbergis emphasizes that no one is forcing Georgia to become a member of the EU. This is a choice Georgia has made on its own, and if it wants to continue on this path, it must fulfill the obligations imposed by the EU.
The same question was answered by Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna before Gabrielius Landsbergis. According to him, integration into the EU and NATO is written in the Georgian Constitution, and in meetings with the Georgian government, Georgian leaders state that they want to join the EU, but if they go the opposite way, there will be no opportunity to join the EU. The responsibility for this issue lies with the Georgian government, and the message from Europe is that there will be consequences.
Sovereignty is an issue that Georgian Dream leaders have repeatedly raised in the context of the so-called law on agents. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has repeatedly stated that the adoption of the so-called law on agents serves the purpose of “robust protection” of sovereignty (1,2). Kobakhidze has also stated that the “radical opposition” and “NGOs” want to give up sovereignty.
Kobakhidze: “… These people [opponents of the so-called law on agents] do not understand one thing: if sovereignty, independence, and values are taken away by the plague, i.e., the radical opposition, NGOs, and their patrons, in this case we will lose both the EU and the whole country…”
Bidzina Ivanishvili expressed similar thoughts in his address on April 29, when he said that the law must be adopted to protect sovereignty: “The Georgian people must decide the fate of Georgia. Over these years, we have accumulated enough resources to start strengthening sovereignty in full. The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence serves this very purpose.”
