Georgian President Salome Zourabisvili announced today that she has vetoed the controversial “foreign influence” law that has sparked mass protests in the Caucasus country.

“Today I veto (…) the law which is Russian in its essence and which contradicts our Constitution,” Zurabishvili said in a televised speech.

It is, however, a symbolic veto by the pro-European president, who is in open conflict with the government, as the ruling Georgian Dream party, which tabled the bill, says it has enough votes in parliament to overturn it.

The text, approved on Tuesday by Parliament, has been denounced by its critics as intended to distance Georgia from Europe and draw it towards Russia.

It has led to mass protests for more than a month in Georgia, with thousands of people — mostly young people — taking to the streets in protest.

NATO, the European Commission and the UN condemned this initiative of the Georgian government.

The law obliges NGOs or SMEs that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to be registered as an “organization that pursues the interests of a foreign power” and to undergo an administrative audit.

Its critics call it the “Russian law” because of its similarity to a law passed in Russia to suppress any dissenting voice.

President Zurabishvili proposed amendments to the draft law but warned against possible “artificial negotiations”.

For his part, Prime Minister Irakli Kombahicze said he is ready for possible changes.

A former Soviet republic, Georgia is an official candidate for European Union membership from December 2023 and also aspires to join NATO.