Outburst of rage in the streets, and Western reactions, the adoption by the Parliament of the Russian-inspired law causes about “foreign agents”

Thousands of people in Georgia demonstrated on Tuesday night after parliament passed the controversial bill, which is inspired by Russian legislation, and the US warned it may review relations with Tbilisi.

During the third and final reading of the bill yesterday, 84 Georgian MPs voted “for” and 30 “against”.

In front of the parliament about 2,000 protesters had gathered shouting: “No to Russian law!”, while a large police force had been deployed at the scene.

Protesters later blocked a major boulevard in central Tbilisi, while 13 people were arrested “because they did not comply with police orders,” according to the interior ministry.

The bill must now be signed by Georgian President Salome Zourabivili, who has said she will veto it. However, the parliamento can override this by holding a new vote on the bill.

Under the bill, all organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad will be labeled foreign agents.

His opponents have labeled it a “Russian law”, comparing it to Russian legislation used to target opponents of President Vladimir Putin. They also see it as crucial for Georgia’s future, as it will determine whether the country will move towards joining the EU or turn more towards Russia.

For its part, the Georgian government states that this law is necessary to promote transparencys, to deal with the “pseudo-liberal values” promoted by foreigners and to maintain the country’s autonomy.

In 2023, mass protests had forced the ruling party, “Georgian Dream”, to abandon a corresponding bill. But this time the majority MPs approved it, despite the citizens’ reactions.

USA and Russia

In Washington, the White House announced that the US “deeply concerned” on the bill, with representative Karin Jean-Pierre stating that, “if this legislation is adopted, we will be forced to fundamentally reconsider our relationship with Georgia.”

US Deputy Secretary of State James O’Brien, who is in Tbilisi, pointed out that Washington may impose financial and travel penalties to Georgian officials if changes are not made to the bill or if law enforcement forces violently break up protests against it.

“If the bill goes forward without conforming to European standards and this rhetoric and smearing against the US and our other partners continues, I think our relationship is at risk,” O’Brien said.

Besides, the aid of 390 million dollars, that the US annually provides to Georgia, “will be reviewed if we are seen as adversaries and no longer partners,” he added.

In Britain, the Under Secretary of State for Europe, Nusrat Ghani, asked the Georgian government to “withdraw this bill”, considering that it “is not in line with the democratic values ​​of a country that wishes to join NATO”.

The EU, which granted Georgia candidate status in December, has repeatedly pointed out that the bill will be an obstacle to Tbilisi’s further integration into the bloc.

The ruling Georgian Dream says it wants the country to join both the EU and NATO, although it has adopted anti-Western rhetoric in recent months.

Polls show that Georgians strongly support their country’s EU membership, while many are hostile to Russia, as supports the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov yesterday hailed “the strong desire of Georgian officials to protect their country from any blatant interference.”

Controversy over the bill also brings its influence to light Bidzina Ivanishvili, of a wealthy businessman who is accused of pulling the strings of Georgia’s political life from behind the scenes.

Ivanishvili served as the country’s prime minister from 2012 to 2013 and is currently the honorary president of Georgian Dream. He is believed to have close ties to Russia, a country where he made his fortune. Although he assures that he wants Georgia to join the EU, he has recently made statements hostile to the West, and considers non-governmental organizations an internal enemy.