TBILISI, Georgia — The Georgian parliament on Tuesday overrode a presidential veto of the “foreign agents” bill that has prompted weeks of massive protests by critics who say it will restrict media freedom and obstruct Georgia’s chances of joining the European Union.
The legislature, controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, dismissed the veto of President Salome Zourabichvili, an independent. The president now has five days to endorse the bill. If she doesn’t do so, the parliament speaker will sign it into law.
The bill that was approved by the parliament earlier this month requires media, nongovernmental organizations and other nonprofit groups to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
The president now has five days to endorse the bill. If she doesn’t do so, the parliament speaker will sign it into law.
The bill that was approved by the parliament earlier this month requires media, nongovernmental organizations and other nonprofit groups to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
Zourabichvili, who is increasingly at odds with the governing party, vetoed the bill on May 18. She has accused the governing party of jeopardizing the country’s future and “hindering the path toward becoming a full member of the free and democratic world.”
The veto was rejected by an 84-4 vote in a contentious parliament session, during which a Georgian Dream deputy doused the leader of an opposition party with water while he spoke from the rostrum.
Opponents of the bill thronged outside the parliament building and some shouted “Slaves!” as the vote was announced.
The government says the bill is needed to stem what it deems to be harmful foreign actors trying to destabilize the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million, but many Georgian journalists and activists argue that the bill’s true goal is to stigmatize them and restrict debate ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
Opponents denounce the legislation as “the Russian law” because it resembles measures pushed through by the Kremlin to crack down on independent news media, nonprofits and activists. Critics say the measure may have been driven by Moscow to thwart Georgia’s chances of further integrating with the West.
The bill is nearly identical to one that the ruling party was pressured to withdraw last year after massive street protests. Renewed demonstrations again gripped Georgia as the bill made its way through parliament. Demonstrators scuffled with police, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.
The European Union’s foreign policy arm has said that adoption of the law “negatively impacts Georgia’s progress on the EU path.”
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that travel sanctions would be imposed on Georgian officials “who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia.” He noted that “it remains our hope that Georgia’s leaders will reconsider the draft law and take steps to move forward with their nation’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”
The EU offered Georgia candidate status last December, while making it clear that Tbilisi needs to implement key policy recommendations for its membership bid to progress.
The opposition United National Movement has described the bill as part of efforts by Georgian Dream to drag the country into Russia’s sphere of influence — claims it vehemently denies. Georgian Dream was founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and billionaire who made his fortune in Russia.
Zuka Elbakidze, a student who was among protesters rallying in Tbilisi ahead of Tuesday’s vote, said “this day will determine the fate of our country,” adding that “we are making a choice between Europe and Russia, and all the people gathered here, except the policemen, want Europe and the West.”
“We are physically witnessing, literally witnessing, how Georgian citizens, how members of the Georgian Parliament are selling out our country,” said another protester, Mariam Geguchadze.
Russia-Georgia relations have often been rocky since Georgia became independent after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
In 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which had made a botched attempt to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Moscow then recognized South Ossetia and another separatist province, Abkhazia, as independent states and strengthened its military presence there. Most of the world considers both regions to be parts of Georgia.
Tbilisi cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, and the regions’ status remains a key irritant even as Russia-Georgia relations have improved in recent years.
The Georgian Parliament has made headlines recently after successfully overriding President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto on a bill aimed at combating foreign influence in the country. The bill, which was initially passed by Parliament in July, seeks to strengthen regulations on foreign-funded non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and increase transparency in their activities.
The President vetoed the bill last month, citing concerns about its potential impact on civil society and freedom of speech. However, Parliament voted overwhelmingly to override the veto, with 101 out of 150 lawmakers supporting the bill.
The new law requires NGOs that receive more than 30% of their funding from foreign sources to register as “foreign agents” and disclose their funding sources. It also prohibits foreign citizens from holding leadership positions in these organizations.
Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to protect Georgia’s sovereignty and national security from foreign interference. They point to examples of foreign-funded NGOs being used as tools for political manipulation in other countries, and argue that similar measures are needed to prevent this from happening in Georgia.
Critics, on the other hand, argue that the bill is a threat to freedom of speech and civil society in Georgia. They argue that it could be used to target and silence organizations critical of the government, and that it sets a dangerous precedent for government control over NGOs.
The debate over the bill has sparked widespread protests in Georgia, with civil society groups and opposition parties calling for its repeal. However, with Parliament’s successful override of the presidential veto, the bill is now set to become law.
It remains to be seen how the new regulations will be implemented and what impact they will have on Georgia’s civil society landscape. But one thing is clear: the issue of foreign influence in Georgia is a complex and contentious one, and will continue to be a topic of debate and discussion in the months and years to come.
