Recent efforts by the Georgian government to adopt a Kremlin-style law imposing restrictions on civil society. In Tbilisi, on a cobblestoned street next to the Georgian Parliament, a robotic female voice warned protesters to disperse or face legal action. The demonstrators were gathered in opposition to the reintroduction of the controversial “foreign agent” law by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The proposed Foreign Agents Law, shelved in 2023 but resurfaced in spring 2024, inciting mass protests. Critics say the bill is an attempt to crack down on the country’s political opposition and civil society, and have dubbed it “the Russian law” due to its striking similarity to legislation used by the Kremlin to muzzle domestic opponents of the Putin regime. The bill is also notable for positioning Georgia’s traditional Western allies as adversaries while refraining from mentioning Russia, which currently occupies around twenty percent of the country.
The US State Department has issued a stern warning, stating that the proposed law and accompanying anti-Western rhetoric from GD officials could “jeopardize Georgia’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration.” Despite such international backlash and the fact that around eighty percent of Georgians favor NATO and EU integration, the GD party remains undeterred, as the founder and unofficial leader Bidzina Ivanishvili confirmed with an address steeped in anti-Western sentiment.
The unfolding events in Georgia bear an uncanny resemblance to Ukraine’s 2013-14 Euromaidan Revolution. Some are even asking whether the country is now experiencing its own “Yanukovych moment,” a reference to the pro-Kremlin Ukrainian president who fled to Russia following months of unrest. The two situations certainly appear to have much in common. On both occasions, the country’s pro-Western political forces and civil society protested against an increasingly authoritarian and Kremlin-friendly government in order to defend their basic democratic rights. On both occasions, the brutality of the regime’s response fueled a surge in public support for the protests.
President Salome Zurabishvili stands as the Georgian people’s primary representative, urging the EU and the international community to increase their support for Georgia. She has recently vetoed anti-European legislation and pardoned political prisoners. However, her influence is limited, as her veto powers can be easily overridden by the GD, as has happened several times recently.
Relevant articles:
– Russia’s Georgia strategy offers hints of Kremlin vision for Ukraine, Atlantic Council, 05/10/2024
– Protests against a Russian-style law threaten Georgia’s government, The Economist, 05/09/2024
– Georgia’s ongoing struggle goes beyond the bill. It’s about finally breaking free from Russian influence, CEPS, 05/08/2024
– How Georgia Sided With Its Enemy, Foreign Policy, 05/07/2024
– Georgia: The next domino to fall in the Kremlin’s undemocratic direction, POLITICO Europe, 05/07/2024