TBILISI: Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili on Monday asked the country’s top court to annul a controversial “foreign influence” law enacted by the ruling Georgian Dream party that has sparked mass protests and condemnation from the West.
The law, passed in May, mandates that organizations receiving over twenty percent of their funding from abroad register as entities advancing the interests of foreign powers.
Zurabishvili, known for her pro-Western stance, has been vocal in her opposition to the law, which critics argue mirrors repressive measures seen in Russia aimed at stifling dissent. The president’s parliamentary secretary, Giorgi Mskhiladze, confirmed her petition to the constitutional court, asserting that the law violates constitutional provisions aimed at advancing Georgia’s integration into the European Union and NATO.
“The president has requested the court to suspend the law immediately and annul it definitively,” Mskhiladze said during a press briefing in Tbilisi.
The law’s passage came despite Zurabishvili’s veto, which was subsequently overridden by lawmakers aligned with the Georgian Dream party. The legislation has been a focal point of nationwide demonstrations, with protestors decrying its potential to erode civil liberties and undermine Georgia’s path towards EU membership.
Georgian authorities have defended the law as a measure to enhance transparency in the operations of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but critics argue it poses a severe threat to democratic freedoms and could isolate Georgia from its Western allies.
In response to mounting domestic and international pressure, Zurabishvili has called for opposition unity ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October. The president’s efforts to rally political forces against the ruling party reflect deep-seated concerns over the trajectory of Georgia’s democratic governance and foreign policy orientation.
The European Union has warned that the “foreign influence” law contradicts Georgia’s aspirations for EU accession. Meanwhile, the United States has imposed visa restrictions on individuals implicated in undermining democracy in Georgia and initiated a comprehensive review of bilateral relations with Tbilisi.
