Member of the Bundestag from the Free Democratic Party of Germany, Thomas Hacker, who is in Georgia, has responded to the thousands of protests against the Russian law. He stated that if the parliament passes the law, the EU should consider personal sanctions against the architects of the law, as well as the withdrawal of the country's candidate status.
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The German MP points out that the Georgian Dream party has not yet been impressed by the protests against the so-called "Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence" and shows no sign of giving up. However, he says that the ruling party's law in practice aims to silence critical NGOs and an active civil society.
“The ruling party appears to be completely detached from the wishes and hopes of Georgia's citizens. It is boycotting the country's European future. The Parliament must stop the adoption of the law. Otherwise, the EU must consider personal sanctions against the architects of the law and seriously consider revoking Georgia's candidate status.
The people of Georgia, who are courageously protesting on a daily basis against the government and the law imposed by Russia deserve our respect and admiration. Yesterday, I was able to accompany the peaceful demonstration on the ground and realized that the heart of Europe is beating in Tbilisi these days"
On April 3, 2024, "Georgian Dream" once again initiated the Russian law on so-called "foreign agents" in the parliament, which had been withdrawn a year ago due to thousands of protests, and promised never to accept it again. The Russian law requires independent media and non-governmental organizations that operate with grant support from international organizations and cannot be controlled by the government or related groups to register as foreign agents. On April 17, 83 members of Parliament supported the Russian law in the first reading, and today, April 29, the law is considered in the second reading in the Legal Affairs Committee.
The United States State Department has called the "Georgian Dream" law "inspired by the Kremlin" and urged the government not to accept it. A similar note is found in the resolution adopted by the European Parliament. 425 MEPs condemn the fact that the Georgian government, inspired by Russia's "foreign agents" law, which deliberately labels and discredits civil society organizations and activists, is using it to silence the remaining critical voices in the country. The European Parliament categorically condemns the law and notes that it is incompatible with the values of the European Union, democratic principles, and Georgia's ambitions to join the European Union.
