The escalation of the situation in Georgia and Russia can be traced back to Georgia’s status as a candidate country for EU membership, according to researchers from the Italian foreign policy institute ISPI. This week’s protests in Georgia, where riot police used excessive force to break up demonstrations, have been considered serious by ISPI.
The root cause of the protests is a legal project proposed by the Georgian government that requires NGOs and other entities that receive at least 20 percent of their funding from foreign sources to declare themselves “agents of foreign powers.” This bill, which is seen as contrary to European values, was previously attempted a year ago but was withdrawn due to protests. Additionally, Georgia’s EU candidate status has added tensions, with the EU’s high representative for foreign policy condemning the use of force to suppress a peaceful assembly in Georgia.
ISPI researchers believe that the bill has exacerbated the existing political crisis in Georgia, dividing the country between pro-European integration groups and an increasingly authoritarian populist government. The Kremlin has accused the West of stoking anti-Russian sentiment among Georgians and has defended the controversial law, trying to delegitimize the protests and link them to Western influence.
Despite these challenges, Georgian civil society has shown resilience and determination through its protests. ISPI researcher Eleonora Tafuro Ambrozetti emphasizes the importance of monitoring how Russian government and media describe demonstrations and their attempts to discredit protestors’ motives. The situation in Georgia remains complex with geopolitical implications and ongoing tensions between different factions within the country.