Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of Georgian Dream, has condemned EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell for criticising the ruling party's intentions to dismiss three opposition MPs from Parliament and press through with selections to the upcoming Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection agencies.

MP Kobakhidze claimed in a long interview that none of the Ambassador's remarks were "fair and neutral," which is why they were "not interesting for us in this regard."

The GD chair stated that the ruling party "would naturally give less heed" to remarks that they deem to be unfair or prejudiced while unbiased ones, even if they are critical, would receive consideration.

President Salome Zourabichvili, who declared on February 15 that she disapproved with the opposition legislators' parliamentary mandates being terminated, was also chastised by the governing party chair.

"Salome Zourabichvili is not the Parliament," he said, adding that while anybody can express their displeasure with the GD MPs' actions, the legislature is ultimately "responsible for the decision."

Ambassador Hartzell, together with US Ambassador Kelly Degnan, supported prolonged negotiations between the GD and opposition parties to end the political deadlock of 2020, a process that eventually evolved into talks mediated by European Council President Charles Michel. Because of the mediation, the Georgian Dream unilaterally left the EU-brokered April 19 accord between the parties on July 28, 2021.

Kobakhidze's comments come amid already tense relations between the GD administration and Brussels over the disputed Supreme Court and High Council of Justice nominations, GD's pre-emptive denial of a conditional EU loan, and Georgia's reported surveillance on western diplomats, to mention a few.

In late December 2021, the Georgian Dream controversially dismantled the outspoken State Inspector's Service, replacing it with the Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection agencies.