On April 25, the European Parliament released a sharp resolution calling to suspend Georgia’s EU accession process if the Georgian parliament adopted the “foreign agent law,” bne IntelliNews reported.
The resolution, which received 425 votes in favour and only 25 against, strongly condemns the ruling Georgian Dream party’s attempt to pass a law allegedly aimed at suppressing opposition media and NGOs.
This is a very concerning development and the final adoption of this legislation would negatively impact Georgia’s progress on its EU path.
The first version of the law was withdrawn last year due to mass demonstrations and international criticism. Then in March 2023, the government pledged not to reintroduce it, but broke its promise.
According to the bill, NGOs and independent media that receive more than 20% of their funding from foreign sources will have to register as organisations “bearing the interests of a foreign power.”
Tbilisi was rocked by five days of continuous protests as crowds demonstrated outside the parliament building, waving European and Georgian flags. Parliament has already passed the law in the first of three readings, despite heated controversy over alleged chamber’s flaws during the vote. The final reading is expected to take place next month.
The European Parliament stated that the law on foreign agents did not comply with the values and principles of the European Union. Georgia was accepted as a candidate country for EU membership along with Ukraine and Moldova in November 2023.
Members of the European Parliament also called for sanctions against those responsible for reintroducing the Foreign Agents Bill and highlighted chairman of Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, in their decision.
Ivanishvili served as prime minister of Georgia from October 2012 to November 2013 before giving way to a succession of prime ministers. The Georgian Dream party has been in power for 13 years.
In response to the European Parliament’s call for sanctions against Georgian lawmakers behind the bill, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze criticised MEPs as “arrogant and biased.”
Leader of the Georgian Dream faction in the parliament, Mamuka Mdinaradze, stated that he was “amazed” by the reaction of the European Parliament, according to Georgian media.
Who would have envisioned a few years ago that the individual who proposed bills concerning funding transparency and family values in parliamentary discussions would become the target of a deliberate, coordinated assault?
