Protests against a Russian-style law threaten Georgia’s government

The most serious political crisis in the 12-year rule of the Georgian Dream party is entirely of its own making. It was prompted by the party’s unexpected reintroduction in early April of a “foreign agent” law that would require NGOs and media outlets which get more than 20% of their funding from abroad to enter themselves into a public registry. The party tried to pass the same law in 2023. Then, too, it spurred huge protests and sharp warnings from Georgia’s American and European partners. The law looks like an imitation of similar measures in Russia, which has used the “foreign agent” label to silence critical voices. The resistance drove Georgian Dream to withdraw the bill.