Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has placed a mostly symbolic veto on a controversial 'foreign agents' law, sparking mass protests and drawing international attention. The law, which targets NGOs and media receiving over 20% of their funding from foreign sources, has been criticized as undermining Georgia's EU aspirations. Protests in Tbilisi, led by pro-Western NGOs, have seen the burning of Russian and 'Georgian Dream' flags, with demonstrators calling for the law's withdrawal. Zurabishvili has invited French President Macron to help rid Georgia of Russian influence. The Georgian parliament, led by Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, plans to override the veto, prompting calls for sanctions and visa bans from U.S. and EU officials. The U.S. is considering a package of economic and security support for Georgia if the government abandons the law and its anti-Western rhetoric ahead of the October election.
Several dozen high school students gathered near the Ministry of Education and marched towards the Parliament in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi on Monday to protest against the controversial “foreign agent” law. The banner reads, “The future is ours”. 📹: Artyom Seyanis https://t.co/wsHufLkROv
⚡️The U.S. is considering a package of military, trade, and visa liberalization incentives for Georgia if it reverses the trend of democratic backsliding and abandons the controversial foreign agents law, Politico reported on May 20, citing a draft bill. https://t.co/psMESCqxCn
Opponents are counting on Georgia’s president Salome Zourabichvili to veto the law. But even that may not be enough to satisfy the demands of the street. https://t.co/bN3uhgfLM4
‘As things stand, it appears Georgia may become yet another casualty in the international tug of war between democracy and authoritarianism.’ Georgia’s future is at a flashpoint, writes @Michal_Kranz: 👇 https://t.co/hEClffLPID
High school seniors are marching from the Ministry of Education to the Parliament to hold their graduation ceremony there. And these are the white shirts covered in best wishes from school mates and teachers I previously mentioned. #GeorgiaProtests https://t.co/oZRBT1p4mq
Watch our video report and listen to our whole episode from Georgia. @lewis_goodall, @RadusGabriel and @RorSymon did a brilliant job pulling this together while on the ground there. https://t.co/nXyJQWR7kF
“Washington could sign off on a sweeping package of economic and security support for Georgia if its government abandons its increasingly anti-Western rhetoric and stops backsliding on human rights.” This is very significant! https://t.co/fnv9PXVrME
Washington could sign off on a sweeping package of economic and security support for Georgia if its government abandons its increasingly anti-Western rhetoric and stops backsliding on human rights. https://t.co/iii4lKunxt
The European Union is always on about how Russia tries to covertly influence elections, sow unrest & spread disinformation in other countries So shouldn't the EU *welcome* a law, like the one in Georgia, that requires organizations to reveal their foreign funding sources?
‘A westward looking Georgia that could eventually join Nato would necessitate a wholesale reorientation of Russian forces in its south.’ Is Georgia's future key to Russian geopolitics, asks @Michal_Kranz: 👇 https://t.co/hEClffLPID
🇺🇲🇬🇪⚡ The US may impose sanctions against Georgian politicians to “protect democracy” - Politico “The authorities responsible for promoting the law on foreign agents in the country may face frozen accounts and a ban on entry into the United States. Tbilisi has committed an open… https://t.co/5bbreh2HzM
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) is readying legislation to sanction Georgian government officials Georgia over their pursuit of a Russia-style “foreign agents” bill. “Sadly, the pro-Russian [Georgian Dream] government is going against patriotic Georgians who reject life in the… https://t.co/czrB8ZepjB
Again, it’s hard to tell what happens next but I am proud Georgians almost instinctively stood up against the Foreign Agents law and did not enable GD to quietly continue Russifying us while playing democracy and tricking foreign partners, some of whom are asking to be tricked. https://t.co/SIEnHj6SZG
The Georgian president was born in France and served as the French Ambassador to Georgia - She vetoed the law by the Georgian Parliament for transparency on EU/US "NGOs" - With no intended irony she asks Macron to visit on independence day for support https://t.co/OxTE1WusTn
Russian or Russia-enabling legislation underway in Georgia: 1. Foreign Agents law; 2. Offshores law that will make 🇬🇪 safe haven for Russian oligarchs; 3. Undemocratic new amendments to Election Code; 4. Anti-LGBT legislation; 5. Draft enabling state takeover of the pension fund.
Grigory Karasin accuses @Zourabichvili_S of attempting to destabilize Georgia after she vetoed the Russian law on foreign influence.
US prepares sanctions against Georgian politicians who supported foreign agents law https://t.co/RkfwqTO0rh https://t.co/PqrG4NYllV
The democratically elected government of Georgia may face the US sanctions to "defend democracy". The fact that the democratically elected government expresses the will of the majority of people doesn't matter to these "international rules-based order" ghouls. https://t.co/6MhO3YxTCP
"A leaked draft bill seen by POLITICO would target [Georgia's] ruling party lawmakers and law enforcement officers, as well as possible Russian agents in the country." https://t.co/FCqEUR7UF1
“Ties with Russia and other allies are likely to deepen, while their battle against Israel will continue.” 🖊️ @EuroBriefing https://t.co/rJU95k8qwv
🇪🇺🇬🇪 “The US may impose sanctions against Georgian politicians to “protect democracy” - Politico “The authorities responsible for promoting the law on foreign agents in the country may face frozen accounts and a ban on entry into the United States. Tbilisi has committed an open… https://t.co/hfKTGV9j8y
Speaker of the Parliament Papuashvili announces the Presidential veto will be overridden. Time for sanctions, travel bans, and the West doing everything to ensure the GD cannot affect the October election outcome. This isn’t just about Georgia, it’s the freedom-tyranny frontline.
GD announces they’ll override the veto. Going fully hardcore. No surprises. Time for sanctions, travel bans, and the West doing everything possible from today on to ensure GD cannot affect the election outcome. This is not just about Georgia, it’s a democracy-autocracy frontline. https://t.co/wGNWgEWiGY
Georgian parliament to override president's veto on "foreign agents" bill: TASS https://t.co/vdHv9RpuhU
“UK supports President @Zourabichvili_S veto of Georgia’s foreign influence legislation. The law is contrary to the Georgian people’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. I urge the Georgian parliament to heed their allies’ concerns and not overturn the veto and withdraw this legislation,”… https://t.co/mJOPKOEB3O
Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili says the parliament will override the president's veto. He stated that the motivated remarks (veto) will be submitted by the legal committee today and discussed at the plenary session next week.
Protests in Georgia are about a proposed foreign agent law, nicknamed the “Russian law.” Here’s the “Russian law”: Media and NGO’s who receive over 20% of their funding from foreign governments, usually shady Western operations, have to disclose it to the government Protests… https://t.co/2G9YKUxlw9
For years, Georgia elegantly walked the tightrope between the West and Russia. A dangerous new law is threatening this harmony, writes @Michal_Kranz: 👇 https://t.co/hEClffLPID
Officials responsible for pushing forward Georgia’s Russian-style “foreign agents” law could face asset freezes and travel bans under a new bill to be presented to the US Congress. https://t.co/2NmtVGVsZN
Protesters against Georgia's "foreign agents" law summoned by police for questioning. "The Interior Ministry is summoning people en masse for interrogation. This is classic state terror carried out by people in uniform", says @Zuraja. https://t.co/JdrDrDBt9E
Letter to Georgia from @kvolker: How to prevent Russian subjugation: Withdraw the Foreign Agent Law, Agree & Support Basic Principles, Consolidate Opposition Forces, Bring Forward a Technocratic Govt, Don't Demonize & Prosecute Political Opposition https://t.co/YcrJAP9U8d
Sanctions and visa bans on GD officials and enablers seem to be coming. It’s all comprehensive with Russia sanctions evasion and Chinese influence investigation. ALSO (!), “the draft bill seeks to lend support to Georgia’s opposition movement if the foreign agent law is put into…
The president of Georgia is a notorious foreign agent. No surprise she vetoed the transparency bill. She never even visited Georgia before being selected by the US and EU to take that important position as part of typical colonial rule modus operandi. https://t.co/nmpJSCHaPG
What’s happening in Georgia is one of the most important stories in world affairs right now. It’s geopolitics, it’s the misinformation war, it’s about oligarchy vs democracy. Watch this full @TheNewsAgents film from Tbilisi Produced @RadusGabriel Camera/Edit/production… https://t.co/dyglP1m6pU
I had an inspiring conversation with @Mikiashvili_M of @DroaParty in 🇬🇪 about the background to the current protests and the extent to which Georgia is on the frontline of the global struggle for democracy. 1/2 https://t.co/hf6ERbgF6C
Tbilisi today, protesters hung the flags of Georgia and the European Union from the Peace Bridge. Photo: @Publika_ge https://t.co/KS0voRyzS5
Happening now: Human chain in Tbilisi against Russian law on Foreign Influence https://t.co/K712mJ2XVw
The people of Georgia yearn to join the EU, 15 years after Russia invaded them. But with Putin just next door and government propaganda looking more and more Kremlin inspired, is Georgia actually more likely to be the next Ukraine? @lewis_goodall reports from Tbilisi where… https://t.co/Njdj8pV0KD
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Joe Wilson proposes sanctions against Georgian officials over a Russian-inspired law that has triggered unprecedented protests and drawn condemnation from U.S. and European Union officials. https://t.co/muhmDQ0fEB
🇬🇪 GEORGIA: Want to learn more about what’s happening, the background, and how we can support Georgia in its fight against autocracy, the Georgian Dream regime and pro-Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili? 🧵Here’s a collection of threads to help you understand. https://t.co/HdC34mNgVb
A student-organized human chain around Europe Square with Ode to Joy and the National Anthrm of Georgia, a symbolic reiteration of our national choice we will never abandon under any pressure or intimidation. #GeorgiaProtests 🇬🇪🇪🇺 https://t.co/jrtijmFZdF
❗️Former French Ambassador Begs President Macron To Come To Georgia To Kick Out “Soviet yoke and Russian influence" (Spoiler: She's The President Of Georgia) French-born, and still citizen, vetoed the foreign agent law on Saturday & on Sunday Salome Zourabichvilii asked her… https://t.co/mPqyzhjTeX
🇬🇪🇫🇷 Georgian President Zurabishvili invited Macron to come to Georgia to help rid the country of “Soviet yoke and Russian influence.” “This is very important for the future of the European Union, including its security. This is the Black Sea, a transit zone for energy and… https://t.co/BpAwMVzvfX
Is this not EU imperialism? - This MEP threatens sanctions against all Georgian MPs who vote in their own parliament against foreign interference by US/EU government-funded "NGOs" - Either allow the EU to manage your civil society, or have your democratic institutions sanctioned https://t.co/LLQz3TZNow
Stood in the middle of a Tblisi demonstration, Russian emigre Ivan looked on with a tinge of nostalgia as thousands of Georgians protested against a highly-controversial law targeting NGOs and the media. ➡️ https://t.co/oOmXTFc3D0 https://t.co/MRwikYZxoC
This is why Georgia’s anti-foreign influence law is so important. Kicking out Western-funded “NGOs” is crucial to avoiding the same fate as Ukraine. https://t.co/7NhcNsYcey
This is absolutely unreal, this EU MP from the "Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats" is calling for sanctions against all Georgian MPs who democratically vote in their own parliament in favor of a law against foreign interference. Just in case you still thought… https://t.co/zTlE4cKunF
Georgia's president vetoes 'Russian law' which sparked mass protests Read more 🔗 https://t.co/548uK0U2Gu
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has put a mostly symbolic veto on the "foreign influence" law that has sparked unprecedented protests and warnings from Brussels that the measure would undermine Tbilisi's EU aspirations. https://t.co/4yu0DI6nlX
🇬🇪🇷🇺⚡ The flags of Russia and 'Georgian Dream' were burned in Tbilisi during the protest against 'foreign agent' law. https://t.co/sFK0IUUrz4
Tbilisi protesters again came out against the law on foreign agents - in a fuss they burned the Russian flag A large crowd of protesters, led by pro-Western NGOs and resources, again protested against the law on foreign agents. To fulfill the unrealistic Georgian dream of… https://t.co/n2IJAu3Xyf
A Letter to Georgia - @kvolker - ( also see @TheNewsAgents latest episode @lewis_goodall - Is Putin Coming for Georgia https://t.co/wSN2R2GQHY
President Zourabishvili squeezed the GD government in the corner. Either they will override the veto, and this will equate to signing their international death sentence, or they will keep the law pending which will equate to a defeat.
#Georgia’s President @Zourabichvili_S veto to foreign agents law offers a way forward. #Estonia calls on Georgia’s leadership to withdraw the law & revert to 🇬🇪’s EU course.