Georgian opposition plan coalition as ‘foreign agent’ law adopted

Law obliges organisations getting over 20 percent of funding from overseas to register as ‘agents of foreign influence’.

Georgian opposition parties have pledged to form a “pro-European” coalition as the government’s controversial “foreign influence” bill came into law.

Georgia’s parliamentary speaker signed off on the legislation on Monday, meaning that the law, which has caused a political crisis in the South Caucasus country over recent weeks and drawn sharp criticism from its Western allies, has now taken effect.

Critics of the law, including President Salome Zourabichvili, say that the law disrupts Georgia’s ambitions to join the European Union. They insist that the governing Georgian Dream party is seeking to move the country closer to Russia. Massive protests have called for the bill to be dumped. The EU and the United States have also slammed the bill.

However, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili signed the bill into law on Monday after the Parliament voted last week to overcome the president’s veto, which was largely symbolic.

The issue is set to continue increasing polarisation in Georgia.