Shalva Papuashvili to Vika Pilpani: Ms Pilpani, members of your faction are travelling to Brussels these days using the Georgian Parliament’s budget, and you call this an elite trip?! You applied to me, received approval, and are travelling

“Ms Pilpani, members of your faction are travelling to Brussels these days using the Georgian Parliament’s budget, and you call this an elite trip?! You applied to me, received approval, and are travelling,” Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili told Vika Pilpani, an MP from the For Georgia party.

“Ms Pilpani, incidentally, members of your faction are travelling to Brussels these days using the Georgian Parliament’s official travel budget, and you call this an elite trip? Members of your faction are going to Brussels to meet Mr Gakharia? Your party chairman cannot come here, so you are travelling to Brussels, using the Georgian Parliament’s budget, to meet Mr Gakharia. Is that an elite trip or not?! How can you say that?! You applied to me, received approval, and are travelling,” Papuashvili said.

Earlier, Vika Pilpani stated that the expenses the government incurs annually on elite trips were irresponsible.

“When we talk to you about social assistance, you call it populism or irresponsibility. What is irresponsible is the money the government spends every year on elite trips, government vehicles and expensive furniture. Presenting a budget in the way you have presented this one is also irresponsible,” Pilpani said.