Georgia vetoes foreign agent bill, says undermines EU membership
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President Zourabichvili says in a video address on X that the bill contradicts the Georgian constitution and “all European standards,” serving as “an obstacle to our European path.”
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Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili gestures while speaking during an interview with The Associated Press, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP)
Georgia's “foreign agents” bill has been vetoed by President Salome Zourabichvili, who said that it would undermine the country’s desire to join the EU if signed into law.
Zourabichvili said in a video address on X that the bill contradicts the Georgian constitution and “all European standards,” serving as “an obstacle to our European path.”
“This veto is legally sound and will be delivered to the parliament today,” she added, arguing that “this law is not subject to any changes or improvements, making it an easy veto.”
Today, I vetoed the Russian law. This law, in its essence and spirit, is fundamentally Russian, contradicting our constitution and all European standards. It thus represents an obstacle to our European path.
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) May 18, 2024
This law must be repealed! pic.twitter.com/yNCGI7jqaF
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a joint statement this week with the European Commission that "the adoption of this law negatively impacts Georgia's progress on the EU path... We urge the Georgian authorities to withdraw the law".
The bill was first announced in March 2023, but the government was forced to back down after large-scale protests erupted in the capital.
'Pursuing the interests of a foreign power'
Earlier on Tuesday, the Georgian parliament passed a measure on foreign agents, which aims to limit the power of institutions, such as Western NGOs, from receiving foreign funds without declaring them.
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According to Western media, the bill mandates the creation of a list of individuals and organizations receiving foreign funding, a move that has triggered widespread protests and concerns among the opposition.
However, the Georgian parliament clarified that the legislation requires non-commercial legal entities and media outlets that receive over 20% of their funding from foreign sources to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power." The bill passed with support from 84 MPs in the 150-member parliament, while 30 voted against it.
The White House has threatened Georgian officials with sanctions for “undermining the democracy,” while the EU said Tbilisi could lose its candidacy status that was granted in December. Brussels is also reportedly considering a reversal of visa liberalization for Georgians.
“The adoption of this law negatively impacts Georgia’s progress on the EU path. The choice on the way forward is in Georgia’s hands,” the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said this week.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated on Tuesday that violent incidents are "categorically unacceptable," referring to the ongoing protests led by NGOs and Georgians opposing the bill.
