The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has responded to the ongoing protests in Tbilisi against the Russian law, stating that Georgia is at a crossroads.
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“I am following the situation in Georgia with great concern and I condemn the violence in the streets of Tbilisi.
Georgia's citizens are demonstrating their strong attachment to democracy. The Georgian government should heed this clear message.
The European Union has also clearly expressed its concerns regarding the law on foreign influence.
The Georgian people want a European future for their country. In recognition of these aspirations, the European Council in December gave Georgia candidate status and set out a clear path to the opening of accession negotiations.
We expect the Georgian government to take swift action on the measures they have committed to take as a candidate country. Georgia is at a crossroads. It should stay the course on the road to Europe.” Ursula von der Leyen said.
For the second day, the government has been cracking down on peaceful demonstrators protesting against the Russian law in front of the parliament. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is using pepper spray, water jets, and tear gas against them. Today, the special forces allegedly shot rubber bullets at the demonstrators. Most of the rally participants are young people, including schoolchildren.
On May 1, the parliament adopted the Russian law, which sparked large-scale protests, by 83 votes to 23, in the second reading. Before the vote, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze held a briefing during which he announced that "Georgian Dream" is not going to compromise and will not refuse the Russian law.
Members of the parliamentary opposition claim that Bidzina Ivanishvili and 83 deputies made a geopolitical choice in favor of Russia, ignoring the warnings of international partners that supporting the law would prevent the country from becoming a member of the European Union.
