- Speaker of Georgia’s parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, signed the controversial “foreign agents” bill into law after parliament overrode President Salome Zourabishvili’s veto.
- The bill, dubbed a “Russian law” by critics, would require certain media and non-profit organisations to register as organisations “serving the interests of foreign powers” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.
- Georgia’s opposition United National Movement says the bill is part of an effort by the ruling Georgian Dream party to pull the country into Russia’s sphere of influence, a charge the party denies.
The speaker of Georgia’s parliament said he gave final approval on Monday to a controversial “foreign agents” bill that has sparked weeks of protests over restricting media freedom and jeopardizing Georgia’s chances of joining the European Union.
President Shalva Papuashvili signed the bill into law after parliament, dominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party, overrode a veto from President Salome Zourabichvili.
The bill, approved by parliament last month, would require media, non-governmental organisations and other non-profit organisations to register as organisations “serving the interests of foreign powers” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from overseas.
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President Zurabishvili, who is at odds with the ruling party, vetoed the bill, accusing it of endangering the country’s future and “obstructing its path to becoming a full member of the free and democratic world.”
The government says the law is necessary to stop harmful foreign forces it sees as trying to destabilize the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people, but many Georgian journalists and activists say its real purpose is to stigmatize them and limit debate ahead of parliamentary elections due in October.
Opponents have denounced the law as “Russian law,” saying it resembles measures the Kremlin has pushed through to crack down on independent media, nonprofits and activists. Critics say the measures could have been pushed by Moscow to thwart potential further integration of Georgia with the West.
Demonstrators protesting against a proposed foreign agents bill rally at the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 28, 2024. The Georgian parliament enacted a “foreign agents” bill into law that has stoked concerns in the West and sparked mass protests for weeks. (AP Photo/Zurab Tserzvadze)
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze again rejected the criticism on Monday, calling it “an unnecessary sentiment that has only an artificial basis.”
“The law is already in place and we all need to remain calm, put unnecessary emotions aside and act practically,” he said.
The opposition United National Movement said masked assailants attacked its headquarters in Tbilisi over the weekend, smashing windows and damaging the building. It said the attackers were linked to the ruling party. The Interior Ministry has opened an investigation into the allegations of damaging the building.
The controversial bill is nearly identical to one that the ruling party was forced to withdraw last year after massive street protests. Its passage has sparked renewed protests in Georgia, with protesters clashing with police, who have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.
After signing the bill, Parliament Speaker Papuashvili reiterated that its main goal is to “make Georgia’s political, economic and social systems more resistant to outside interference.” “If non-governmental organizations and mass media receive funding from foreign governments and want to participate in decision-making processes and influence the lives of Georgian people, they must meet minimum standards of transparency. Citizens need to know who is behind each actor,” he said.
The Civil Society Foundation, a Georgian non-governmental group, announced Thursday that it was preparing to challenge the law in the country’s Constitutional Court.
The European Union’s foreign policy arm said the adoption of the law would “negatively affect Georgia’s progress on its path to EU membership.”
The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December last year and made clear that Tbilisi needed to implement key policy recommendations in order to proceed with its membership application.
After Congress approved the bill last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced travel sanctions against Georgian officials “responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia.” Blinken said he expected the Georgian government to reverse course and “take steps to advance Georgia’s democracy and Euro-Atlantic vision.”
The opposition United National Movement says the bill is part of an effort by Georgian Dream, founded by billionaire former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, to pull the country into Russia’s sphere of influence, a charge the ruling party vehemently denies.
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Relations between Russia and Georgia have often been uneasy since Georgia gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia in an unsuccessful attempt to retake the separatist region of South Ossetia. Moscow then recognized South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia, as independent states and strengthened its military presence in the region, which most of the world considers to be part of Georgia.
Tbilisi has severed diplomatic ties with Moscow, and although relations between Russia and Georgia have improved in recent years, the situation in these regions remains a major source of frustration.
