In early May 2024, the Georgian Parliament passed the “Law on Foreign Agents”, which caused outrage in the country’s domestic and foreign policy. The law proposes that media outlets, legal entities and non-governmental organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from foreign countries register with the Georgian state as “organizations pursuing the interests of foreign Powers” and declare their financial reports annually.
The Law on Foreign Agents was proposed by the ruling party Georgian Dream, which constitutes the majority of the parliament, and was adopted by a vote. On 18 May 2024, the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, who was increasingly at odds with the ruling party, vetoed the bill. Zourabichvili accused the ruling party of jeopardizing the country’s future and “blocking the path to becoming a full member of the free and democratic world”. The veto was rejected by 84 votes to 4 in a controversial parliamentary session.[1]
Some EU countries are pressing for sanctions against Georgia, including the suspension of visa-free travel, on the grounds that the Georgian Dream Party has adopted the law inspired by Russia. According to people familiar with the discussions, Estonia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Sweden are among the countries willing to discuss restrictive measures at next week’s meeting of EU foreign ministers. According to the Financial Times, the options include canceling visa-free travel for Georgian citizens to the EU and freezing EU funds.
For more than seven years, Georgian citizens have been able to travel visa-free to the EU as part of the EU’s opening to its eastern neighbourhood. A few weeks after Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, Georgia applied for EU membership and was granted candidate status that year. However, accession negotiations have not yet started, as it is awaiting the adoption of a series of reforms opposed by the foreign agent law. According to officials familiar with the issue, European capitals are considering “different pressure measures on the Georgian government”.[2]
EU officials predict that, if enacted, the law would represent a major setback for Georgia’s accession process and would move the country towards ‘Russia’s orbit’. The ruling Georgian Dream has promised to finalize the adoption of the law in the coming weeks, and on 21 May 2024 denounced international pressure following the reports that members of the US Congress had also urged the Biden administration to prepare sanctions.[3] Considering Hungary’s support for the Georgian government, questions arise as to the feasibility of EU sanctions, which must be adopted unanimously by 27 countries. Budapest adopted a similar law creating a special body to investigate foreign funding received by opposition politicians, media and civil society organisations.[4]
United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Washington would review relations with Tbilisi following the adoption of what the opponents described as a ‘Russian law’ that triggered weeks of mass protests across Georgia. Blinken stated that they have imposed new visa restrictions on Georgia and that this policy “will apply to individuals and their family members who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia”. Finally, Blinken stated that the US “hopes that Georgian authorities will reconsider this legislation and take steps to advance the country’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic goals”.[5] Following Blinken’s speech, the US State Department published on its official website the decision to review the visa restrictions and bilateral cooperation. According to Politico, the State Department will also conduct a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation between the US and Georgia, which currently receives significant military and economic support.[6]
While insisting that the law is necessary to protect against foreign influence, the Georgian Dream Party accuses Western-backed NGOs of trying to stage a coup against the elected government. The ruling party said in a statement that these efforts amounted to ‘blackmail’ and called on the EU to begin accession negotiations with Georgia, as it was with Ukraine and Moldova.[7]
To conclude, a country with such a critical geopolitical position as Georgia should be able to pursue a delicate balancing policy in its foreign policy. Since its 1991 independence, the South Caucasus country, which has been one of the centres of contention between the Russian and Western spheres of influence, has now been confronted with a violation of its self-described “sovereignty”. The Georgian Dream Party states that the West has similar laws, and that in the West this situation is being promoted within the framework of the “principle of transparency”; when it comes to them, they are accused of being “totalitarian”.
The most controversial agenda topic in Georgia’s EU integration process has been the “Foreign Agent Law” since the beginning of the process. In the light of recent events, Georgia’s relations with the West have reached an impasse, and it is a matter of curiosity what kind of diplomatic balance it will establish between Russia and the West.
[1] Megrelidze, S., “Georgian parliament overrides presidential veto of the divisive foreign influence bill”, Assoicated Press, https://apnews.com/article/georgia-law-foreign-influence-protests-veto-c78329efd301cab289c1ab2d9ae66b41 (Erişim Tarihi: 31.05.2024).
[2]Dubois, L., et al, “EU countries push for sanctions on Georgia over ‘Russian law’”, Financial Times, https://www.ft.com/content/d4475d59-df96-4005-9786-04042704d07e (Erişim Tarihi: 31.05.2024).
[3] Aynı yer.
[4] Aynı yer.
[5]“ABD’den Gürcistan’a ‘Yabancı Etki Etki Yasası’ yaptırımı”, Euronews, https://tr.euronews.com/2024/05/24/abdden-gurcistana-yabanci-etki-etki-yasasi-yaptirimi (Erişim Tarihi: 31.05.2024).
[6] Gavin, G., “US announces travel ban for Georgian Dream politicians behind ‘foreign agent’ law”, Politico, https://www.politico.eu/article/us-travel-ban-sanction-georgia-dream-politicians-foreign-agent-bill-russian-law/, (Erişim Tarihi: 31.05.2024).
[7] Aynı yer.
