US State Department on Georgia's Euro-Atlantic Path

During a daily press briefing on May 6, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed concern over the Georgian government's proposed foreign agents law.

Miller stressed that the passage of such legislation could potentially derail Georgia's path toward Euro-Atlantic integration and negatively affect its relationship with the United States. "It would put Georgia on a precarious path, jeopardize Georgia's Euro-Atlantic path, and undermine the U.S.-Georgia relationship," he noted. While stressing that the decision ultimately rests with the Georgian authorities, Miller noted that the U.S. will continue to raise these concerns.

Miller refrained from speculating on possible sanctions that the U.S. State Department might consider against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, or other supporters of the controversial bill in the Georgian parliament.

He also explained the differences between the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and the proposed Georgian law, which he described as Kremlin-inspired. According to Miller, unlike FARA, which targets individuals who represent foreign governments without affecting non-governmental, humanitarian, or civil society activities, the Georgian bill would do so. He strongly rejected the "false equivalencies" that some have attempted to draw between the two laws, emphasizing their fundamental differences.

Georgian Speaker Criticizes Western Funding

On May 4, Shalva Papuashvili, the speaker of parliament, launched a new round of criticism on social media against the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the European Endowment for Democracy (EED).

He accused them of funding activities that lack transparency and indirectly support political factions in Georgia. He was particularly concerned about their financial ties to a local NGO called the Shame Movement, which he described as "violent" and also linked to indirect funding of political parties. Papuashvili alleged that the EED, which is managed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), was exercising political influence, as evidenced by a recent resolution criticizing the Georgian government's proposed law on foreign agents. The Speaker also highlighted a “provocative banner” by the Shame Movement, which showed a Molotov cocktail decorated with the colors of the Ukrainian flag, the stars of the EU flag, and the slogan "I threw it." According to him, this was emblematic of the kind of incidents that occurred during the March 2023 protests in Tbilisi against the Foreign Agents Law.

Papuashvili also criticized Damon Wilson, the president of NED, for encouraging Georgian NGOs to continue their violent opposition to the Georgian government and promising support for their controversial activities. He also mentioned David McAllister, MEP and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the EED, for expressing solidarity with the protesters. In his accusations, Papuashvili described how the alleged non-transparent practices of these organizations undermine legal norms, claiming that EED funds have been used to cover fines related to violent protests. He argued that while the notorious Foreign Agents Act was repealed in 2023 with the expectation of greater transparency in foreign funding, such transparency has not materialized. He extended his criticism to Anna Fotyga and Michael Gahler, other MEPs involved with the EED, accusing them of using their positions to conceal the EED's activities in Georgia and advance their personal interests. Despite his harsh criticism, Papuashvili reiterated his willingness to continue working with these organizations, provided that they adhere more closely to their fundamental goals of promoting democracy and the rule of law rather than fostering radicalism and polarization.