The process for the approval of the proposed law on «foreign agents» in Georgia is coming to an end. Parliament today approved the second reading of the controversial legislation renamed “Russian law” as it is considered by many to be very similar to the one in force in Moscow. However, a final vote is missing, i.e. the third, for entry into force (although there is the possibility, already announced in recent months, that the Georgian president, Salome Zourabichvili, will put the veto, which however could be circumvented in the case in which an absolute majority in Parliament is achieved). The ruling “Georgian Dream” party, which promoted the bill, wants to definitively adopt the text by mid-May, despite three weeks of street mobilization by opponents and warnings from the EU that its final approval would distance Georgia from its path of European integration began in December last year. The bill, approved at first reading on 17 April, provides that all those entities – including the media and non-governmental organizations – that receive more than 20 percent of their funds from foreign institutions must register as «supporting organizations of the interests of a foreign power”. This definition would also force them to share confidential information, under penalty of fines of up to approximately ten thousand dollars. For opposition forces and protesters, the proposal would be similar to the one adopted by Moscow in 2012 to repress dissent and hinder the work of the media. For the government of Georgia, however, it is a necessary tool for safeguarding national sovereignty.
