Republic of Georgia Signs 'Foreign Influence' Bill into Law

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The Facts

  • Shalva Papuashvili, the speaker of Georgia's parliament, signed a controversial "foreign influence" bill into law on Monday, prompting widespread opposition.

  • This comes a week after the legislature, led by the Georgian Dream party, dismissed a veto lodged by Pres. Salome Zourabichvili.


The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

This law is a deliberate attempt at undermining democracy in Georgia. By modeling legislation after repressive policies in Russia, the country's politics are starting to slip worryingly close to those of its autocratic eastern neighbor. This move may negatively impact the progression of Georgia's attempts to gain EU membership.

Establishment-critical narrative

This law isn't an attempt to make Georgia "more Russian." The legislation aims to prevent foreign interference of all kinds in Georgia's political, economic, and social systems. If foreign-funded organizations want to continue participating in these spheres of Georgian society, they must now comply with new transparency standards.


Metaculus Prediction


Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO