Researchers at the Italian foreign policy institute ISPI have identified Georgia’s EU candidate status as a major factor behind the recent escalation of tensions in the country. The institute closely monitors Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Caucasus and has considered this week’s protests in Georgia and Russia’s reaction to them as serious.
The underlying cause of the protests is a controversial legal project proposed by the Georgian government that requires non-governmental organizations and other entities receiving at least 20 percent of their funding from foreign sources to declare themselves as “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 This bill, which is seen as contrary to European values, was previously attempted a year ago but was withdrawn due to protests.
According to ISPI researchers, the bill has exacerbated an 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 defended the controversial bill, attempting to delegitimize the protests and link them to Western influence.
Despite facing challenges such as Russian interference and ongoing tensions within its own government, Georgian civil society has demonstrated vitality and determination through their protests. Drawing comparisons to Ukrainian activism, ISPI researcher Eleonora Tafuro Ambrosetti emphasizes the importance of watching how Russian media describes these demonstrations and attempts to discredit protestors’ motives.