Georgia is caught between East and West. A planned law recently brought thousands onto the streets for fear of being too close to Moscow. The draft was overturned.
Tbilisi – For days, thousands of people have flocked to the streets of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. The reason for their displeasure: a bill that would allow independent media and organizations to be classified as “foreign agents”. Barricades burned, rubbish bins anyway, in between even police cars. Again and again, the officers used violence, used water cannons and sprayed tear gas. In the end, however, victory was on the part of the demonstrators. The ruling party announced yesterday that the law will be withdrawn.
Many young people in particular had protested against the regulation in the small ex-Soviet republic. They were the ones who want to move towards Europe and away from Russia – and are afraid that their country could take the opposite course with the new law. Even Georgia’s President Salome Zurabishvili publicly sided with the demonstrators.
“Agents” law: Georgian people protest against regulation
In Russia, the law on “foreign agents”, which has been much criticized internationally, has long since become a symbol of repression against political opponents and those who think differently. Civil rights activists in Georgia were now also afraid that their homeland might once again embark on an authoritarian path. The activists feared for the long-awaited European perspective. Officially, Georgia is not yet a candidate for EU membership, but in the eyes of many Georgians it should become one.
“We see that the draft law has led to disagreements in society,” the ruling Georgian Dream party said in response to the protests. The party is considered relatively pro-Russian and, with 84 out of 150 seats, has a clear majority in parliament. “In view of all this, we (…) decided to withdraw the bill we supported without reservations.” At the same time, the party defended itself against “the false label of the Russian law”.
Fear of being too close to Moscow: new law met with rejection in Georgia
Years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia with its 3.7 million inhabitants is still under the influence of its large neighbor. In 2008, for example, Russia waged war against the small country. And to this day Moscow supports the seceded Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and has its own troops stationed in the region.
“The steadfast struggle of the Georgian public against adopting the Russian law and deviating from the European path has led to the first positive results,” several civil society organizations said in a letter. Despite this, the opposition announced renewed protests. Specifically, she called on the government to convene a plenary session at which the law that had already been adopted at first reading would be officially buried. In addition, the more than 130 arrested demonstrators would have to be released again. (Hannah Wagner and Irakli Absandse)
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