(CN) — American and European Union leaders are throwing support behind mass protests in Georgia against a law targeting foreign-funded organizations, a move that heightens tensions in the volatile post-Soviet Caucasus republic.
The situation in Georgia is becoming potentially explosive as the ruling Georgian Dream party pushes forward with the so-called “foreign influence” law despite nightly demonstrations against it in the capital Tbilisi.
The protests are led mostly by students and pro-Western Georgians who fear that the bill, if it is allowed to become law, will lead Georgia away from becoming a member of the European Union and NATO and toward becoming an authoritarian state under Russia’s control.
Georgian Dream leaders say the law is necessary because they accuse Western powers of interfering in domestic politics through the funding of nongovernmental organizations, which often back opposition parties and voice criticism of the government. The ruling party says it is committed to pursuing EU and NATO membership.
U.S. and EU officials are siding with the demonstrators and characterizing the law as an undemocratic crackdown on independent voices and civil society that will drive Georgia off its path toward becoming a member of the Western alliance.
Under the law, media outlets, NGOs, trade unions and other groups that receive 20% or more of their funding from foreign sources would be required to label themselves as “organizations pursuing the interests of a foreign power.”
Once designated as such, they would need to comply with extensive reporting requirements and they could face investigations.
On Tuesday, parliament took another step toward passing the law, voting 84-30 on its third and final reading in the chamber. Scuffles broke out between opposing parliamentary members as protesters swarmed outside the parliament building.
Police have used violence and water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray to break up the demonstrations. The protests have mostly been peaceful, but they have also turned angry with demonstrators storming the parliament.
Reports of attacks on opposition figures and protesters are adding to a sense that Georgia may be veering toward a brutal government crackdown ahead of October parliamentary elections.
American and EU officials condemned the bill’s passage.
“This is a dark day for Georgian democracy,” a group of 11 U.S. senators said a statement.
The senators said the legislation “will not only be used to limit free speech but will hinder the advancement of democracy in Georgia.”
“The passage of this law will fundamentally change Georgia’s relationship with the United States and damage aspirations for European Union membership,” the senators said.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, a group of EU politicians, including the foreign ministers of Lithuania and Estonia, was in Tbilisi to put pressure on Georgia over the law.
“Political polarization should not be tackled simply by banning alternative views,” Gabrielius Landsbergis, the Lithuanian foreign minister, said in a statement after meeting Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidz. “Such methods can never be compatible with EU membership, and I reiterated this clearly during our meeting.”
The bill now goes to Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who has 10 days to sign or veto it. While she is an ally to the opposition and has vowed to do the latter, the parliament is likely to override the veto in turn.
Before it becomes law, either Zourabichvili or one-fifth of parliament members may ask the constitutional court to review it.
Georgian Dream tried to pass a similar law in the spring of 2023 but backed down due to mass protests and international pressure.
Brussels has warned that adopting the bill would be a setback to Georgia’s inclusion in the EU. Last December, EU leaders agreed to grant Georgia “candidate status,” an important step in becoming a member. In applying pressure, Brussels also warns that it may revoke Georgia’s visa-free regime with the EU.
The bill’s passage also could result in the EU and U.S. placing sanctions on Georgian Dream leaders.
Courthouse News reporter Cain Burdeau is based in the European Union.