German ambassador’s protest visit stirs backlash in Tbilisi
The German ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, who recently returned to Tbilisi after being recalled to Berlin, appeared at an anti-government rally in the Georgian capital on Thursday and personally expressed solidarity with demonstrators, according to protester Mamuka Tsutsqidze.
“German Ambassador Mr Peter Fischer has once again shown solidarity! Of course, I expressed Georgia’s immense gratitude to him for the friendship and support. We will never forget this moment!” the activist wrote on Facebook, sharing a photo with the ambassador, News.Az reports, citing Georgian media.
The ambassador’s presence at the rally triggered condemnation from members of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili accused Fischer of “mocking” Georgian society and said he expected a response from Berlin.
“Now the German Foreign Ministry must finally decide what it wants. After returning from consultations, we hoped that the German ambassador had familiarised himself with the importance of the Vienna Convention, reread the relevant articles and would be more restrained after all this. But only a few days have passed, and he is already mocking the entire society,” Papuashvili said.
Fischer has repeatedly and openly criticised the Georgian authorities for democratic backsliding and has expressed support for activists and protesters in Tbilisi. The Georgian government has described his actions as interference in the country’s internal affairs.
On 24 September, Fischer was summoned to the Georgian Foreign Ministry and accused of “encouraging a radical agenda” and making “unfounded attacks on the government”.
Berlin dismissed the summons as “baseless” and lodged a protest with Georgia’s chargé d’affaires in Berlin.
On 19 October, the German Foreign Ministry announced that Fischer had been recalled for consultations amid what it described as a “smear campaign” against the diplomat. He returned to Tbilisi on 8 November, with Berlin stating that he would “continue his active work with the full support” of the federal government.
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