Josep Borell voiced criticism over the Georgian government's draft law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" and in the process has also called the democracy of the United States into question.

In Georgia, thousands of people took to the street to protest the passing of the so-called „foreign agents law”. The police used tear gas and water cannons on the crowd after someone threw a Molotov cocktail at the police and the initially peaceful demonstration turned into violent clashes. Protesters see the proposed law as an attempt to intimidate the media and non-governmental organisations. Demonstrators gathered outside the parliament in the capital of Tbilisi after lawmakers approved the disputed draft in a first reading.

The parliament in Georgia has voted for a law to control the flow of American money into the political system .. the Georgian president promised to veto the law and called the parliament members Putin puppets .. In brief current protests in Tbilisi are sponsored by “U.S AID” pic.twitter.com/xGBzO4ZBr4

— Maи (@MayMelhem) March 7, 2023

The new law would require organisations that receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from foreign sources to register as „agents of foreign influence”. Those failing to do so would be punished.

The US Embassy in Tbilisi openly criticised the proposal saying that the Parliament’s adoption of the draft in a first reading marks a „dark day for Georgia’s democracy”. „Pursuing these laws will damage Georgia’s relations with its strategic partners,” the embassy wrote.

Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has also sharply criticised the Georgian government’s draft law, saying that its final adoption may have serious repercussions on Georgia-EU relations. Josep Borrell pointed out that the law is incompatible with EU and European values and standards and will undermine democracy.

„The law in its current form risks having a chilling effect on civil society and media organisations, with negative consequences for the many Georgians benefiting from their work. This law is incompatible with EU values and standards,”

reads the press release issued by the EU high representative. The European Union urges Georgia to “uphold its commitment to the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, and recalls the right of people to a peaceful protest.”

With his statement, Josep Borrell not only directed sharp criticism against the Georgian government, but outright attacked the US, a strategic ally of the EU, as a similar law has been in force there since 1938. Although several attempts have been made to amend that act, its core is still the same:

It applies broadly to anyone acting on behalf of a „foreign principal”, including to influence US policy or public opinion.

V4NA has contacted Josep Borrell about his statement. We inquired whether he is aware that a similar law applies in the US to people whose activity is financed with foreign money. Because, if he is aware of that, he can cause serious damage to diplomatic relations between the US and the EU.

It wound not be the first time that EU leaders commit such a huge blunder. Recently, Brussels had also grossly erred regarding the Hungarian MP’s asset declarations, when the government announced that it would adopt verbatim the rules on asset declarations in effect in the European Union.

Brusselites savagely attacked the draft regulation by insisting that it was too lenient and left plenty of loopholes for corruption. „Hungary’s efforts to fight corruption are insufficient,” read a European Parliament vote proposing a cut in funding. With that, the EU essentially criticised its own rules, as for years MEPs have been subject to the same regulation as the Hungarian government planned to introduce.