Georgia PM accuses EU of seeking illegal channels to fund NGOs

European bureaucrats have openly acknowledged attempting to find alternative channels to transfer funds to Georgian NGOs, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told local Imedi TV.

“This is a direct admission that they want to try again to create chaos here. When you look for underground channels, your intentions are dark. We know what this money is being spent on — attempts to organise a revolution. Of course, the state will strive to protect its interests to the very end,” Kobakhidze said, Caliber.Az reports via Sputnik Georgia.

Kobakhidze's remarks appear to reference recent EU statements on bypassing restrictions imposed by Georgia's controversial "foreign agents" law, which requires NGOs and media receiving over 20% of funding from abroad to register and disclose sources. The law, passed in May 2024 and expanded in 2025, has drawn widespread condemnation from Brussels as a threat to civil society and Georgia's EU candidacy.

The accusations stem from escalating tensions between Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the EU, which granted candidate status in December 2023 but froze €30 million in aid in June 2024 over the foreign agents legislation. The law targets pro-democracy NGOs, independent media, and opposition groups, requiring transparency, but critics argue it stigmatises them as "foreign puppets" to silence dissent.

In a November 15, 2025, briefing, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos highlighted the bloc's commitment to Georgian civil society, stating: "We are exploring all legal avenues to ensure our support reaches those working for democracy, even if it means adapting delivery mechanisms."

Kobakhidze and GD leaders, including founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, have repeatedly portrayed EU/NGO funding as a tool for "color revolutions" orchestrated by the West to install a pro-NATO regime.

By Khagan Isayev