Georgia introduces controversial “proxy law.”

The controversial “proxy law” was reached in mid-May, but President Salome Zurabishvili vetoed the proposal.

On Tuesday, as expected, Parliament overrode the veto by a vote of 84 to 4, effectively passing the new law.

Protests continue outside Georgia's parliament on Tuesday as well. On Monday, a parliamentary committee overrode President Salome Zurabishvili's veto on the issue, paving the way for today's vote in parliament.

Similar to the Russian national team

The law in question has aroused strong feelings in Georgia, where its critics call it the “Russian law” because it is one version or another of a Russian law.

In practice, this means that organizations and media that receive more than a fifth of their funding from abroad must register with the authorities as organizations working on the affairs of foreign powers.

– It gives unpleasant associations to a large number of Georgians who want Georgia to move closer to the European Union and not Russia, as the ruling party Georgian Dream seems to want, says SVT foreign correspondent Bert Sundström, who is in Tbilisi.

It may hinder EU membership

Protesters say the law is a deliberate attempt by the ruling Georgian Dream party to stop Georgia's bid to become a member of the European Union.

Georgia applied for EU membership shortly after Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, and its candidacy was confirmed at the end of last year, but it can be assumed that the new legislation is completely at odds with several very basic standards of what the country should ever become. Full member.

The United States has already announced sanctions on top Georgian politicians in response to the Agents Law. Measures are also being discussed within the European Union.

Both the Council of Europe and the European Union have called on Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw the law or at least amend it.