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France stops budget support for Georgia / JAMnews

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France stops budget support for Georgia

The French Ambassador to Georgia, Sheraz Gasri, informed journalists on July 11 that France was stopping its direct aid to the Georgian budget.

During a ceremonial reception in Tbilisi on the occasion of Bastille Day, she also mentioned that Georgia’s accession process to the European Union is on hold. The ambassador’s remarks were published on the public broadcaster’s website.

“On 27 June, the European Council concluded that Georgia’s path to EU accession is de facto halted due to widely publicised decisions by the Georgian government. For this reason, we have decided to temporarily halt our direct assistance to Georgia’s budget and increase support to civil society and the media. The Georgian government must change course so that we can resume our activities, which are consistent with our intentions to continue supporting Georgia in all sectors.”, said Sheraz Gasri.

Representing the country hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, French Ambassador Sheraz Gasri wished the Georgian athletes every success.

“This year, our national holiday takes place in a special context, as France is preparing to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in two weeks. This is an opportunity for us to wish many victories to all nations, including our Georgian friends. Georgia has achieved success in football recently. We wish you victories in other sports and, of course, success on the European path.”, said Sheraz Gasri.

France, the second largest country in the European Union, has begun to reassess its relations with Georgia.

On July 10, it was announced that Germany had decided to comprehensively reassess its relations with Georgia. This includes the cancellation of a major joint legal forum that would have taken place in Tbilisi in 2023 and was planned for this summer in Berlin.

Germany has withdrawn from participation in the traditional annual military exercises “Distinguished Partner”. In addition, Germany has announced that it will not enter into any new financial commitments.

German Ambassador Peter Fischer also did not rule out that Berlin might reconsider its military aid to Georgia. However, he categorically denied the circulating information that Germany is withdrawing student visas from Georgian citizens.

The conclusions of the European Council meeting on 27 June stated that Georgia’s adoption of the law on ‘foreign agents’ represents a step backwards from the European Commission’s recommendations to grant Georgia candidate status for EU membership.

“The adoption of the law on “foreign agents” is not in line with European democratic and human rights standards. And this is not an isolated case.“ states the corresponding resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Georgia.

Fischer pointed out that although Georgia’s accession process to the European Union has stalled, rapid progress in this direction is possible if the Georgian government returns to the path of democracy and European integration.

What do you need to know about Georgia’s “foreign agent” law?

  • The “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence” was initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party and passed by Parliament in third reading on May 28, 2024.
  • Parliament passed this law despite massive protests, persistent demands from Georgia’s Western partners and the opinion of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.
  • After the law was passed, the US announced a first package of sanctions against the Georgian Dream government. Secretary of State Antony Blinken threatened a “comprehensive review of US-Georgian cooperation”.
  • The European Union also took countermeasures. At the beginning of July, it stopped providing aid to Georgia amounting to 30 million euros and threatened further measures. Senior EU representatives have repeatedly pointed out that this law distances Georgia from the EU.
  • On July 11, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Megobari Act, which provides for sanctions against those involved in passing the “foreign agent” law.

The main argument of the Georgian government is that there are similar laws in the US and several European countries, including France. According to Georgian Dream, every country has the right to protect itself from foreign influence and demand transparency from its organizations.

However, this comparison is inaccurate for the following reasons:

The American law FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act), which Georgian Dream refers to, was passed in the USA in 1938, i.e. before World War II, and was intended to protect the American public from Nazi propaganda. Neither then nor now did FARA apply to America’s allies and friendly countries.

In France, the law on “influence of foreign states” contains a specific list of countries to which the law applies. This list includes countries whose influence France considers a threat, including Russia, China, Turkey, and Iran. The French version also explicitly states that this law does not apply to EU countries. The Georgian version lacks such provisions. As a result, this law directly affects organizations funded by the US and EU – friendly and partner countries that support democratic processes and numerous important projects in Georgia, from healthcare and infrastructure to strengthening civil society.

In addition, FARA specifies that the law does not apply to media or NGOs, but only to lobby organizations. The Georgian version lacks this clarification.

Overall, the Georgian law is similar to the Russian law, which primarily affected the media and the NGO sector. As a result, all non-governmental and media organizations that were not controlled by the Kremlin were closed in Russia. Therefore, the Georgian law is also called the “Russian law”.

It is also important to note that this law contradicts EU legislation. When a similar law was passed in Hungary, it was annulled by the European Court of Human Rights because it was directly aimed at silencing the media and suppressing NGOs.

The “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence” is to come into force in Georgia by September 2024. Then a special register for the registration of “foreign agent organizations” will be available. This applies to all organizations whose funding comes from foreign grants for more than 20%. In a small and not very wealthy country like Georgia, this applies to the vast majority of non-governmental organizations.

Many Georgian NGOs and media refuse to be included in the register because they find the term “organizations representing the interests of foreign states” offensive. “We work honestly in our country, so why should we be called ‘representatives of foreign state interests’?” they protest.

Some small organizations have already announced that they will soon close. For example, the non-governmental organization Fair Trees Foundation announced that its project to create a free dental clinic for children would be put on hold due to the passage of the law.

In addition, almost all animal welfare organizations in Georgia depend on foreign subsidies. The adoption of the law could therefore lead to the closure of many of these organizations.

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