Last March, the populist Georgian Dream administration was forced to drop an almost identical “foreign agent” bill after street protests that saw riot police clash with crowds, drawing condemnation from abroad. Now, a year after promising to “unconditionally” withdraw the proposals, the government has resurrected them, - reads the Politico article titled “Georgia’s EU bid is being sabotaged by its own government, Brussels fears”.

According to the article, the moves have received harsh reviews in Brussels.

“Having warned last year that the Georgia government’s proposals were “incompatible with EU values and standards,” officials now have every reason to see the “foreign agents” bill as a deliberate attempt to drive a wedge in relations.

Granted anonymity to speak about this sensitive issue, a spokesperson for the Commission told POLITICO that “the announcement by the ruling party in Georgia to re-introduce the draft [foreign agent] law … is a seriously worrying development and we urge Georgia to withdraw such legislation, in line with public commitments by the Government and the ruling party.”

“The European Council granted candidate status to Georgia on the understanding that a number of steps be taken,” the spokesperson added. “Amongst them, ensuring freedom of assembly and expression and to consult and engage with civil society, allowing for their meaningful involvement in legislative and policymaking processes and ensure they can operate freely.”

The Commission will now assess the impact of the proposed bill and “report on the state of play in Georgia” in the next Enlargement report, expected in the fall”, reads the article.

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