Georgia’s parliament has sparked controversy by overriding President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto of the “foreign agents” legislation, a move that has raised concerns in the West and led to weeks of street protests.
The bill, approved earlier this month, requires media, nongovernmental organisations, and other nonprofit groups to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad. Critics, including President Zourabichvili, argue that the legislation will restrict media freedom and hinder Georgia’s chances of joining the European Union.
The government claims the bill is necessary to combat foreign actors seeking to destabilize the country, but opponents see it as a way to stigmatize journalists and activists ahead of parliamentary elections in October. Many have likened the legislation to measures implemented by the Kremlin to suppress independent media and dissent.
The bill’s passage has reignited protests in Georgia, with demonstrators clashing with police and calling for the legislation to be scrapped. The EU has warned that the bill could impede Georgia’s integration with the bloc, while the US has imposed travel sanctions on officials involved in undermining democracy in the country.
Critics of the bill, including the opposition United National Movement, accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of aligning with Russia’s interests. The protests, which have drawn tens of thousands of people, mark some of the largest demonstrations in Georgia since it gained independence from Moscow in 1991.
As the country grapples with the implications of the controversial legislation, the future of media freedom and democratic values in Georgia hangs in the balance.