On Saturday night, in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, around 50,000 people braved heavy rain to protest a controversial “Foreign Influence Transparency Act” supported by the government but criticized by the US and Europe.
The bill, proposed by the ruling party “Georgian Dream”, requires any independent non-governmental organizations and media outlets that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents of influence”, with violators facing fines of around $9,300.
Last March, large-scale street protests forced the ruling party to abandon similar legislative plans. In the new version, the term “foreign agents of influence” was replaced with “organizations serving foreign interests”. Since the re-introduction of the bill in April by the ruling party, large-scale protests have been ongoing for nearly a month. Demonstrators have faced violent crackdowns by the police, who have fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the protesters.
Protesters argue that the bill is similar to the “Foreign Agents Law” enacted by Russian authorities in 2012, which Vladimir Putin used to suppress dissent. They say that Georgia, a country built on principles of liberty and democracy, does not need such legislation and hope to stop the bill’s passage through protest actions. They also fear that before the parliamentary elections in October, this law could be used by authorities to suppress critical voices.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Georgia applied to join the European Union. However, the ruling party “Georgian Dream” has faced criticism for its pro-Russian policies. Last May, Georgia’s non-partisan President Salome Zourabichvili criticized the ruling party’s pro-Russian stance during the country’s Independence Day celebrations, warning that these policies were distancing Georgia from Europe and could ultimately lead to isolation.
Kornely Kakachia, director of the Georgian Institute of Politics, believes that the government’s policies reflect the views of the ruling party’s founder and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. He argues that Ivanishvili and the party’s leadership believe Russia is winning the Russia-Ukraine war and are seeking ways to friendly coexist with Russia and find their place in the new geopolitical order.
In a rare public speech on April 29th, Ivanishvili stated that the purpose of introducing this bill now is to deplete the political opposition’s strength before the parliamentary elections. He criticized Georgia’s political opposition and civil society groups, accusing them of “treason”, conspiring with foreigners to overthrow the government, and sponsoring political opposition through “opaque NGO funding” to come to power.
In an article dated May 6th, the US think tank Foreign Policy Institute analyzed that “for some time, Georgia’s steadfastly pro-Western society has been at odds with an increasingly authoritarian and anti-Western ruling coalition. These obvious divisions often lead to large-scale anti-government protests.”
On the 10th, foreign ministers from Nordic and Baltic countries issued a joint statement urging the Georgian government to reconsider the bill. Last week, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, wrote on X stating that the people of Georgia desire a “European future”. “Georgia stands at a crossroads. It should stay firm on the path to Europe.”
European Council President Charles Michel, on May 4th, wrote on social media platform X, saying that “the calls from Georgian citizens for an open democracy and a diverse society must be taken seriously. … Georgia’s future lies with the EU. Do not miss this historic opportunity.”
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan from the White House wrote on social media X, stating that “we are deeply concerned about the democratic backsliding in Georgia. … Georgian lawmakers face a critical choice – to support the European Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people or to pass a Kremlin-style ‘Foreign Agents Law’ that runs counter to democratic values. … We stand with the people of Georgia.”
The ruling party “Georgian Dream” insists that this bill is similar to legislation in Western countries, but the EU disagrees with the assertion that the law mirrors Western transparency regulations, such as those in the EU and France, as well as the US Foreign Agents Registration Act, which specifically targets lobbyists paid with foreign funds rather than suppressing civil society or independent media.
The bill passed the second reading in the Georgian Parliament with 83 votes in favor and 23 against. After the third reading, it will need to be signed by the President. Although the ruling party “Georgian Dream” has enough numbers in parliament to overturn the President’s decision, President Zourabichvili has vowed to veto the bill. The ruling party aims to have it become law by mid-May.