Representatives of the EU, NATO and the Council of the European Union condemned, on Wednesday 15 May, the adoption by the Georgian Parliament on third reading of the ‘Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence’, despite protests from a section of the Georgian population and international calls not to vote in favour of the law.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, held separate talks on Tuesday with the Georgian President, Salomé Zourabichvili, and the Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidzé. Ms Zourabichvili intends to veto the law, but the ruling Georgian Dream party seems to have enough votes to override it in Parliament.
In the absence of a declaration by the EU27 due to the blocking by Hungary and Slovakia, the High Representative of the Union and the Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, warned in a joint statement that the adoption of this law “negatively impacts Georgia’s progress on the EU path”.
“The choice of the way forward is in Georgia’s hands. We urge the Georgian authorities to withdraw the law, uphold their commitment to the EU path and advance the necessary reforms detailed in the 9 steps (...) set out in the Commission’s recommendation of 8 November 2023”, they added.
Mr Borrell and Mr Várhelyi pointed out that the EU had “clearly and repeatedly” stated that the spirit and content of the law were not in line with EU core norms and values. “It will undermine the work of civil society and independent media while freedom of association and freedom of expression are fundamental rights at the core of Georgia’s commitments as part of the Association Agreement and of any EU accession path”, they warned.
The High Representative and the Commissioner made it clear that the EU stood by the Georgian people and their choice in favour of democracy and the European future of their country. Stressing that the intimidation, threats and physical attacks against civil society representatives, political leaders and journalists, as well as their families, were “unacceptable”, they called on the Georgian authorities to investigate these documented acts.
For her part, NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah said that the decision to adopt this law was “a step in the wrong direction” and takes Georgia “further away from European and Euro-Atlantic integration”. On X, she urged the country to “change course” and respect the right to peaceful protest.
For her part, Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, described the adoption of the law at third reading as “very disappointing”. This vote came before the constitutional law experts of the Council of Europe (Venice Commission) had delivered their opinion on the draft law, she stressed in a press release, after recalling the concerns of international partners regarding the law’s incompatibility with European standards of democracy and human rights.
In addition, she said she was “deeply disturbed” by the “numerous reports” regarding “intimidation campaigns, physical assaults, the disproportionate use of force, unlawful detentions, the spread of personal data and the use of stigmatising official narratives to target peaceful protestors, civil activists, journalists, and opposition representatives”. The Secretary General called on the Georgian authorities to take immediate steps to put an end to this situation and recalled that the Council of Europe “stands ready to assist Georgia” - one of its member states - to continue “consolidating its democratic development and further progress towards EU accession”. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc and Camille-Cerise Gessant)