Georgian Parliament overrides presidential veto of the foreign agent bill

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 29 May 2024 by Alex Teddy
On May 28 as we predicted the vote went 84-4 in favor of the bill. This supermajority means that the bill becomes law. There were more than 4 deputies against the bill but most of them abstained. The president will be requested again to sign the bill. If she refuses (as is probable) then the speaker of parliament will sign it into law. He is a member of Georgian Dream - the party behind the bill. It is almost certain that the law will take effect in 2024. The government shows no sign of backing down under Western pressure. Defenders of the bill note that the US has similar legislation, so the United States should not threaten to sanction politicians in Georgia for upholding national sovereignty. The law will required the National Agency of Public Registry to create a list of organizations that act for foreign countries. It will impact many media outlets and NGOs. The legislation will monitor the political views, religious beliefs and even sexual orientation of members of foreign agent organizations. Breaches of the law will lead to fines of up to USD 1,800 but a person can be fined multiple times for different offenses. USD 1,800 is as much as the average Georgian earns in 6 months. Although the law is described as being akin to the Russian law of the same name, it is not so much pro-Russian as anti-foreign and reflects more the internal dynamics of Georgian politics than any overtly pro-Russian stance. This is a common misperception regarding Georgia, with much of the international press painting the geopolitical dynamics of the country as a pure dichotomy, whereas the reality is more nuanced.

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