Demonstrators protesting against the “foreign influence” law gather in front of the Parliament building in central Tbilisi on May 28, 2024.
Vano Shlamov | Afp | Getty Images
Georgian lawmakers voted Tuesday to override a presidential veto of a Russian-style “foreign agents” law, advancing legislation that has sparked international condemnation and large-scale protests in the South Caucasus country.
The United States, European Union, NATO and the United Nations have all expressed concerns about the bill, which critics say could damage Georgia’s chances of joining the EU and push back the country in Russia’s orbit.
The Foreign Agents Act calls on the country’s media outlets, nonprofits and other nongovernmental organizations to declare that they are “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from foreign sources.
Russia, which occupies about 20% of Georgia’s internationally recognized territory, has used similar legislation to crack down on independent media and activists critical of the Kremlin.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed the controversial legislation on May 18, saying on social media platform X that the “fundamentally Russian” law represented “an obstacle to our European path.”
Zurabichvili, a critic of the ruling Georgian Dream government, called for the law to be repealed.
The Georgian Dream party has insisted the legislation is necessary, even as it sparked some of the largest protests the country has seen since declaring independence from the Soviet Union more than 30 years ago.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the bill would create “strong guarantees” to help ensure lasting peace in the country.
“A very sad day for Georgia”
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said Tuesday’s vote marked “a very sad day for Georgia and the rest of Europe.”
“The adoption of this law effectively suspends Georgia’s membership in the EU, without any benefit to anyone,” Landsbergis said on X.
“The adoption of this law has a negative impact on Georgia’s progress on the EU path,” European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on May 15.
“The choice of the path forward is in Georgia’s hands. We urge the Georgian authorities to withdraw the law, maintain their commitment to the EU path and advance the necessary reforms detailed in the nine “The EU is ready to continue supporting Georgians working towards a European future,” he added.
Separately, the United States said it was “deeply troubled” by Georgia’s decision to adopt “Kremlin-style ‘foreign agent’ legislation.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a May 14 press briefing that the law would require the United States to “fundamentally reevaluate” its relationship with Georgia.
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