The Parliament of Georgia, amid strong protests, approved the so-called “Foreign Agents Law”. This is the rule that is strongly criticized by the opposition and the West Organizations will be required to declare foreign funding for their activities.
The new law has gone ahead, though Intense demonstrations of rejection in the street of the political oppositionThose who compare it to the base used by neighboring Russia to silence dissent.
The text “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” stipulates the publication of NGOs and the media that have them Foreign contributions that represent more than 20% of their budgets.
The Georgian executive asserts that most of these revenues are “not transparent” and could be used to “destabilize” the country.
A quarrel between representatives in Parliament
Hundreds of people protested throughout the day outside ParliamentWhere some accidents and clashes occurred with the police. Riot officers guarded the parliamentary chamber headquarters, government and other public buildings from the first hour, and some riots occurred. In the evening, Thousands of people blocked the main road in Tbilisithe capital of Georgia.
Inside the room too There were moments of tensionWith intense conflict between opposition representatives and those who issued the new law. There were verbal confrontations and pushes as well as some physical assaults.
The opposition stops activity and demands sanctions
Faced with this scenario, the main opposition party, United National Movement (MNU)This was announced, which includes 20 deputies out of 150 in the Council Stop all parliamentary activitiesWhether in the state parliament or in local councils.
They believe that with the adoption of the so-called “Russian law,” the government Georgian Dream party – which enjoys an absolute majority – He practically handed the country over to MoscowHe created a Russian regime and declared war on his own people.” Calls on citizens to ‘fight for a European future’.
Nona Sovarian, a Georgian resident of Catalonia who worked as a journalist in her country, confirms to Catalonia Informatica that the protests will extend further because… “Students from all over the country decided to focus their demonstrations in the capital.”. He expects that the more massive the marches are, “the more force the government will use against the demonstrators.”
And the main opposition parties as well They called for international sanctions to be imposed on government representativesthe majority in Parliament, who promoted the law.
And they confirm that The new law brings them closer to Moscow and distances them from the European Union. What they want to avoid, Sovarian explains, is a return to the Russian orbit.
“People are not taking to the streets because of a law. They are protesting against the Russification of the country. We were on the path to European integration, and we could have traveled there without a visa, but we were already told that this would end. For us, it is a step backwards.”
the moment, Brussels did not support imposing sanctions. On the other hand, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov spoke about interference in Georgian affairs.
“We have even heard threats to impose sanctions on Georgia if it adopts any law in its country. What is this but interference in Georgia’s internal affairs?”
On the other side, Washington has already announced that if the law enters into force, it will reconsider relations with Georgia. Some opposition leaders met with Under Secretary of State for European Affairs James O’Brien, who stressed that “the United States has all options to protect the Euro-Atlantic path chosen by the Georgian people.”
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