How likely is Georgia’s ‘foreign agent’ bill to pass? | DW News

How likely is Georgia’s ‘foreign agent’ bill to pass? | DW News

in Georgia where Mass protests have entered their third week the protests are aimed at a government bill which they say will crack down on the media in Georgia’s and Georgia’s Ambitions to join the EU the EU and the US have urged Georgia to drop the legislation thousands of people in Georgia have been taking to the streets for weeks protesting a bill that could threaten media Freedom crowds oppose what is called the foreign agents bill which will require media and nonprofits to register as working for a foreign power if they get more than 20% of their funding from [Music] abroad the motivation behind the decision to reintroduce the law despite the promise that it would not happen is clearly Russian style even before examining the law [Music] itself that’s what many here are calling it the so-called Russian law that’s because Moscow uses similar legislation to curb press freedom and silence critics of the Kremlin Georgian president salur Bish opposes the bill and told DW she would not let it pass as it derails Georgia’s plans of joining the EU so this law is criticized by everyone and it’s criticized by our European partners by our American partners that say that this will be an obstacle to the European pass of Georgia when we are expecting by the end of the year to get the possibility to open negotiations uh for Georgia’s entry into the European Union while the president and Western Partners have opposed the law Georgia’s prime minister has dismissed their criticism he says their interference has in fact accelerated violence lyanna fix is a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations an American think tank in Washington DC so as we saw there thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people in Georgia are opposed to this bill but How likely is it to pass well the ruling party is very determined to make this law pass it is the second time that they have already introduced it so this is not just a oneoff this is something where the ruling party George and dream would lose all credibility if they would not push it through so it’s a very serious situation and really a fog in the road for Georgia’s path towards the European Union and towards the West well as uh as you just mentioned there many critics say that this could be an attempt to realign Georgia with Moscow do you share that assessment for a long time there have been concerns that the great Cardinal behind the scenes vinaa Ivan who was once judge of prime minister then has stepped down but still um actually exerts most of the power over georgean dream is Russia friendly he has made his business in Russia his business fortunes but this law would be the first really definitive evidence that George and dream and Bina Ian in the background are imitating Russian politics and are implementing a law which is just so obviously modeled on Russia’s foreign agent law that it is really difficult to argue that this is not a move towards Moscow now why exactly are we seeing this realignment with Moscow I mean Georgia fought a war against Russian back separatist in 2008 in other Regional countries like Armenia are distancing themselves from Moscow at the moment yeah it is a huge Paradox especially as um such a huge majority of the population does not want to realign with Moscow so from the perspective of George and d and of Bina Ian um the the thinking goes that Georgia wheelie has no alternative that if it opposes Russia any further no one will come to help Georgia in the same way as Ukraine is being helped right now that’s the argument the official argument but at the same time it is very fair to say that it is in the interest of the georgean dream party and of Ian to revive these ties to Russia and it is remarkable that they are able to do so against the will of her population of the population which is also because the opposition is so weak and so discredited after years of Zak’s rule in Georgia all right that was lyanna fix from the Council on Foreign relationship or Council on Foreign Relations rather thank you very much for joining us absolutely my pleasure well let’s get an EU perspective on this from Viola Fon cron she’s a German member of the European Parliament for the green party welcome to DW I’m guessing you would support the call from Ursula fondel from The European commission for Georgia’s Parliament to change course over this so-called Russian law as absolutely um we all I think there’s a big group of friends of Georgia in the European Parliament and we very much regret the last political developments uh I mean especially this law but of course this development lasts already for quite some time and it does not show the right direction while Georgia has actually the Constitutional uh obligation uh to lead this country closer to the EU and to to Nato and of course with this kind of draft laws or draft bills you actually obstruct this constitutional obligation and yes uh in the European Parliament there is a lot of uh big concern about the European future of Georgia and why explain to us why the EU is choosing to medal in the Affairs of a country that is not a member of the block well I mean they have applied uh for the membership and there was a big debate in the European Union whether it is already enough what Georgia had to offer to Grant the candidate status and not everyone was too happy that we did it but because Georgia was in the past a real role model for reforming uh for being one of the engines so to say in the post Soviet sphere uh for democratic reform for rule of law reforms for police reforms and anti-corruption reforms especially and of course there is a big part of the society an overall majority of the society in favor of bringing this country closer to the the EU that’s why they actually put pressure on the government uh on the ruling party uh to submit this application I don’t think that George and dream the ruling party was really in favor but because the Civil Society because the society as such is absolutely in favor of becoming a member they were forced to do so but then with this kind of law with with this kind of law you actually contradict this application and it is not in our interest to bring more members into the European Union who actually are not in favor of the European values and that’s why we did not interfere yeah and so where does how far does this support for civil society uh from the EU go what can or should the EU do to help I think there are different option on the table at the moment uh I would hope uh that we see a shuttle diplomacy that we see high ranking officials from the EU going to TIY explaining to uh the authorities uh that this is simply not acceptable they have to choose whether they want to go the European path or they want to go the Russian path and of course there will be um elections soon I think it should be in our interest to have a large and a very um I would say comprehensive election observation Mission not just from the Ed but also maybe an extra one backed by the European Parliament backed by the European Union to make sure that there will be no massive fraud and manipulation uh maybe in favor of the Georgian Dream party to make sure that they stay in power because this is a big danger and that is what many people are afraid of this draft law is especially targeted at the local uh election observation groups and so we have to make sure the next elections are fair and free uh and here I see a big danger so here the EU could support we could also support independent NOS which then if they don’t register as as a foreign um agent they have to pay fines okay compensate Their fines we can help so there are many options on the table thank you for talking us through that F Fon cron a green member of the European Parliament thanks for having me

Mass protests in Georgia have entered their third week, as thousands of people take to the streets to denounce a bill that could threaten media freedom and derail the country’s hopes of joining the European Union.

Protesters oppose what many are calling a ‘Russian law’ – as Moscow uses similar legislation to curb independent news organisations and groups critical of the Kremlin. The new law would require NGOs and media groups that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” The EU and the US have urged Georgia to drop the legislation.

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00:00 Mass protests in Georgia against divisive ‘Russian law’
02:03 Liana Fix, Council on Foreign Relations
05:00 Viola von Cramon, German Member of the European Parliament

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