By Athena Papakosta

Georgia has been like a boiling cauldron for weeks. Tens of thousands of citizens take to the streets almost every day to protest against him so-called “Russian law”which stipulates that any company, media and organization receiving more than 20% of foreign funding will be listed as organizations “serving the interests of a foreign power”.

Yesterday, the bill was passed by 84 votes to 30. Outside parliament, violent clashes quickly broke out with heavy security forces rushing into the crowd and arresting anyone in sight. Earlier, a group of protesters destroyed with iron fences the police railings that separated the gathered from the parliament building where they were in progress inside the plenary hall incidents between the MPs of the ruling party and the opposition.

The bill is currently in the hands of Georgia’s president, Salome Zourabisvili, who has said she will veto it. However, the ruling party “Georgian Dream” can bypass it by holding an additional vote on the bill.

The United States has warned Tbilisi not to choose to become an enemy of the West by falling back into Moscow’s arms. In light of the fact that Georgia cannot be ruled out once again becoming a satellite state of Russia, Washington has not ruled out withdrawing its funding, noting that what is happening in the Georgian capital could be another “turning point” in the history of the former Soviet Union. Democracy.

At the same time, the European Commission made it clear that the law on foreign agents undermines the country’s accession path to the European Union. “Member States are clear: if this law is adopted, it will be a serious obstacle for Georgia and its European perspective”, it is emphasized.

It was preceded by the post of the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, on the platform X, formerly Twitter, in which he emphasizes that if Tbilisi wishes to join the EU. “they must respect the fundamental principles of the rule of law and democratic principles.”

Lithuania’s support for the Georgian people was expressed by its president, Zitanas Nauseda, who in his post on X said to the citizens of Georgia: “No one has the right to take away your European dream.”

Georgian citizens shout “yes to Europe, no to Russia”. They denounce the new law as authoritarian, calling it “Russian” since it has been in force since 2012 in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

As they make clear, the demonstrations will continue. “We want freedom”, they shout and turn their gaze to the planned national elections in the country in five months from now to elect a new government and wake up from the “Georgian Dream” which now reminds them of a nightmare.