On April 16, the Georgian Parliament adopted amendments to the Law "On Political Associations of Citizens" in its final third reading, according to which international donor organizations will no longer be able to issue grants to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) without the consent of the countryʼs government.
This was reported by the Georgian news agency Interpressnews.
This package of amendments was supported by 80 MPs.
Now, to issue a foreign grant, it will be necessary to obtain the consent of the government or an authorized person designated by the government.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau will monitor the issuance and receipt of foreign grants. Receiving a prohibited grant will result in a fine of double the amount of the specified grant, which will be imposed on the recipient.
The bill also establishes a number of exceptions — in particular, the procedure for mandatory government consent does not apply to the issuance of grants by an international sports association, federation, and committee, to obtaining secondary and higher education outside of Georgia, and individual scholarships.
The author and initiator of the package of legislative amendments approved in an expedited manner is the pro-government faction "Georgian Dream".
The EU reacted to the adoption of this law. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stated that the law further narrows the civic space.
"This law, adopted in haste and without consultation, complements recent repressive legislation. These steps undermine Georgiaʼs status as an EU candidate country and basic democratic principles," it said in a statement.
What preceded
Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia in October 2024. According to the Central Election Commission, the pro-government, pro-Russian party "Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia" won, gaining 53.9% of the vote. According to Georgian law, this party has the right to form a government alone. The results of the elections were not recognized by the European Parliament.
Four more pro-Western opposition parties broke the 5% barrier. The opposition and the president disagreed with the results, and protests began.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze reported on November 28, 2024, that Georgia was abandoning EU accession negotiations until 2028. He explained that 2028 would supposedly be the time when Georgia would be economically ready to begin accession negotiations. After that, large-scale protests began in the country, which were dispersed by security forces using water cannons and tear gas.
Amid the violent crackdown on the protests, the US suspended the US-Georgian strategic partnership, and Georgian representatives in several EU countries and the US informed that they were resigning. Ukraine also imposed sanctions on the Georgian authorities for the crackdown on the protests. The United Kingdom will also suspend support for the Georgian authorities and limit cooperation with them.
Lithuania and Estonia have expanded sanctions against Georgian politicians over their involvement in the persecution of peaceful protesters, journalists, and the opposition.
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