The Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has advised Georgia to repeal its controversial “foreign influence” law, which has triggered widespread protests. The law, recently approved by the Georgian parliament, mandates media and NGOs to register as “foreign agents” if they receive over 20% of their funding from abroad. Critics fear this could curtail press freedom and opposition voices, likening it to similar legislation used by the Kremlin to suppress dissent, hence labeling it “the Russian law.”
The Venice Commission criticized the government’s adoption of the law, stating it lacked genuine discussion and meaningful consultation, disregarding the concerns of a significant portion of the Georgian populace. Such a process, it argued, does not meet European standards of democratic law-making.
Georgia’s government contends that the law is necessary to counter harmful foreign influence in its politics and prevent destabilization by unspecified foreign actors. However, protesters in the capital, Tbilisi, have reportedly faced heavy police violence.
The European Union has consistently opposed the law, warning that it could jeopardize Georgia’s aspirations to join the bloc. While the EU has not outlined explicit reprisals or consequences for Georgia’s accession process, its stance underscores concerns about the law’s impact on democratic principles and European integration efforts.