Georgia’s parliament gave final approval on Tuesday to a controversial bill that has plunged the country into a political crisis and threatens to undermine the pro-Western aspirations of many Georgians, leaning towards closer ties with Russia.
The law will require nongovernmental organizations and media organizations that receive at least 20% of their funding from abroad to register as organizations “pursuing foreign interests.” The country’s Justice Ministry will be given broad powers to monitor compliance. Violations could result in fines equivalent to more than $9,000.
The passage of the bill could be a turning point for Georgia, one of the most pro-Western states since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The bill has already shaken Georgia’s relations with the United States and the European Union and could disrupt the fragile geopolitical landscape of the Caucasus, a volatile region where the interests of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Western countries have long clashed.
The bill also sparked overnight protests in the capital, Tbilisi, which often turned into clashes with police, who used pepper spray, tear gas and their fists to disperse dozens of protesters.
Lawmakers from the ruling Georgian Dream party voted on Tuesday to override a veto of the bill. Announce On May 18, President Salome Zurabichvili vetoed the bill. Ms. Zurabichvili had been one of the bill’s most vocal opponents, but her veto was largely symbolic as the government easily won a parliamentary majority to pass the bill by a simple majority.
The new legislation is part of a package of bills promoted by Georgia Dream that includes limit Tax law amendments will target LGBTQ communities Make it easier Bringing foreign capital into Georgia and amending election laws, Increase The ruling party’s control over the election management body.
The bill is officially called the “Transparency Act on Foreign Influence,” but protesters have denounced it as “Russian law,” saying it resembles legislation the Kremlin uses to control opponents. Critics also say the bill will undermine Russia’s long-term goal of joining the European Union, which has expressed concerns about the bill.
The government abandoned its attempt to pass the bill last year after facing huge protests, but this time it is more determined to push it through parliament. While there is no evidence that Russia is behind the bill, critics say the government has growing ties with Moscow and is trying to emulate its practices.
The Georgian government has expressed its desire for Georgia to join the European Union and NATO, but in order to avoid being drawn into the war in Ukraine that could spread, Georgia has no choice but to adopt a more neutral stance towards Russia.
The ruling party also insists the law is necessary to strengthen Georgia’s sovereignty and resist outside interference. Western-funded nongovernmental organizations helped Georgia perform some basic functions in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union and left it fragmented and impoverished.
But over time, the government began to view NGOs as adversaries. It increasingly accused NGOs of promoting social issues such as LGBTQ rights, saying they violated Georgian values and undermined the country’s sovereignty.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited the act, saying: Announce a “comprehensive review” of Georgia’s bilateral cooperation with the United States, and visa restrictions imposed by the United States on Georgian individuals responsible for or complicit in “undermining Georgia’s democracy.”
In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova feature Blinken’s statement is an example of the United States’ “shameless and disrespectful interference in the affairs of sovereign states.”
