This Wednesday, April 17, protests continued in front of the Georgian Parliament against the 'foreign agents' bill, promoted by the ruling party, Georgian Dream. Despite slogans like “No to the Russian law!” and “Yes to Europe, No to Russia!”, Parliament approved the law with 83 votes in favor, exceeding the threshold of 76 votes required. The law seeks for entities that receive more than 20% of their financing from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence.
This Wednesday, April 17, protests continued in front of the Georgian Parliament, where thousands of people gathered to demand the elimination of the project known as the 'foreign agents law', promoted by the ruling Georgian Dream party and approved this week. on first reading.
Under the slogans “No to the Russian law!” and “Yes to Europe, No to Russia!”, the protesters, most of them young, gathered for the third consecutive day on the central Rustaveli Avenue in the capital of Georgia, while carrying flags of the European Union and Georgia.
Despite the protests, Parliament approved the controversial law with 83 votes in favor and only needed 76.
After having achieved approval in the first reading, the bill will return to the corresponding parliamentary committees and could thus return to the plenary session of the Legislature in mid-May.
Crosses between the president and the prime minister
The president of Georgia, Salomé Zurabishvili, who has publicly expressed her support for the demonstrations, said this Wednesday that “dignified protests against the Russian law continue for the third day,” through a publication on the social network X.
And he added that “on one side are the people of Georgia, on the other, 83 deputies who voted against our European future. The people always win!”
Third night of dignified protest against the adoption of the Russian law! On one side the people of Georgia, on the other 83 MPs who voted against our European future. The people always win!
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) April 17, 2024
However, Prime Minister Irakli Kobajidze defended the bill, describing it as truly “Georgian and European.”
“We will not change our decision to approve this law. We are a small, but independent and proud State, and we will not give anyone the right to give us instructions without arguments,” the prime minister said before the press at the Government Headquarters.
And he targeted those who oppose it by saying that “the detractors of this bill do not have a single argument.”
“In reality, this law is precisely European, since it is based on the main European valuestransparency and accountability,” he indicated.
The points proposed by this project
The law on 'Transparency of Foreign Influence' It intends that all entities that receive more than 20% of their financing from abroad register as agents of foreign influence and stipulates a series of sanctions for those that do not comply with this provision.
For the Georgian Dream party, sponsor of the initiative, the bases were taken from a US law known as the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and argues that the legislation is essential to promote transparency and counteract the imposition of “pseudo-liberal values.” ” by foreign actors.
Protests against the Russian-style Foreign Agents Law are ongoing in Tbilisi, Georgia, for the third day in a row!
🇬🇪🇪🇺🗽 pic.twitter.com/ouZlcP2vXj— Giorgi Tumasyan (@GiorgiTumasyan) April 17, 2024
This project is very similar to one that the ruling party tried to introduce in March 2023, but ultimately had to scrap after two nights of violent protests. Now, the authorities maintain that the “radical opposition” distorted the situation to incite the population against the law, which is why they showed their intention to reintroduce it.
In the face of criticism from Western nations, the Georgian government has emphasized its right to demand transparency from non-governmental organizations operating in the country, but has not detailed which entities would be designated as foreign agents.
A Russian or European law?
Opponents described the bill as a “Russian law,” and compared it to legislation used by the Kremlin to repress political dissidents and stifle opposition. They argued that the law is part of an authoritarian trend in the party. ruling and who has strengthened his hold on the electoral commission and has proposed broad restrictions on the rights, for example, of the LGBTIQ+ community.
With a similar law, Russia has targeted hundreds of journalists, politicians, human rights organizations, environmental groups, LGBTQ+ support networks and others who have been labeled as foreign agents, forcing them to identify themselves as such whenever they post content on social media or other media.
Read alsoPutin promulgates law on media “foreign agents” in Russia
According to an explanation by the Reuters agency, the term “foreign agent” is loaded with connotations related to espionage and it is used, basically, to generate distrust around individuals and entities that the authorities wish to present as subversive elements.
The United States, the United Kingdom and countries of the European Union (EU) have urged Georgia not to approve the bill, which the European bloc itself considers incompatible with its values. And although Georgia received EU candidate status in December, the bloc imposed conditions on the possibility of its entry, depending on the implementation of further reforms.
For its part, Russia maintains that it seeks “stability and predictability” in Georgia and has denied putting pressure on this law and has rejected accusations that the bill is of Russian origin.
In this way, Georgia faces a crossroads in its international relations, as critics of the bill warn that its approval could undermine the country's chances of integrating with the West and could strengthen ties with Russia, the latter being a country unpopular among Georgians, due to its imperial history and support for separatist regions.
Read alsoGeorgia's European dream, fragile due to Russian influence
Despite traditionally favoring the West, the Georgian government has avoided imposing sanctions on Moscow for the war in Ukraine, which has generated unrest among public opinion. And Georgia's strategic geographical location in the region places the country in a situation similar to that of Ukraine, trapped between Russia and the West.
With Reuters and EFE.
#day #protests #Georgia #resisted #39foreign #agents39 #law