Georgia's FARA-inspired foreign influence law Experts discuss its impact on political life

The Georgian parliament has passed a new bill on foreign agents in the first reading. The session was broadcast on the legislative body's website. The new bill is an exact replica of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). 84 parliamentarians voted in favor of the document. "No votes against. The bill has been adopted in the first reading," said Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

The first version of the foreign agent bill was adopted in Georgia in May 2024. Unlike the American version, it does not apply to individuals but only to non-commercial organizations and media outlets receiving more than 20% of their revenue from foreign sources.

Archil Gorduladze, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party who introduced the bill, called it "a detailed translation of the American law." According to him, the Georgian bill, unlike the American one, which applies to everyone, will only apply to legal entities.

The explanatory note to the bill states that the "Foreign Influence Law" passed in May 2024 "does not sufficiently ensure" the transparency goals—particularly, most non-commercial organizations receiving foreign funding prefer not to register and avoid sanctions. Therefore, the current law "cannot effectively implement the will of the legislator," the explanatory note says.

A member of the Georgian Dream party, Mamuka Mdinaradze, noted that last year the parliament "adopted a simplified version of FARA, which was not fully implemented," and now, instead, "we will adopt a new, American law, a direct copy of its current version, and ensure its full implementation."

In the United States, compliance with the similar law is monitored by the Department of Justice. In Georgia, there is no separate agency, but as explained by Gorduladze, the implementation of the law will presumably be monitored by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The foreign influence bill was introduced to the Georgian parliament twice. Once, it was withdrawn following mass protests, but in the spring of 2024, it was adopted despite the veto of the sitting president, Salome Zourabichvili, who refused to sign it. She called the law "essentially and in spirit Russian," contrary to the constitution and "all European standards." The law provides for the creation of a special registry listing all non-commercial legal entities and media outlets funded from abroad by more than 20%.

So, how important is the adoption of this new version of the law for Georgian society and the state? Can it bring significant benefits? How will the opposition perceive it? Could it affect the dynamics of protest movements?

Notable Georgian analysts shared their perspectives with Caliber.Az.

Professor of Political Science and Honored Journalist of Georgia Badri Nachkebia says that the issue of foreign influence and the foreign agent law is stirring the minds of all people in Georgia.

"The thing is, all segments of society perceive it differently. Those who support the ruling party believe that, first and foremost, this money should not be directed towards any anti-state and anti-national activities in Georgia. By the way, in parallel, the law on treason is being reinstated. I believe this is somewhat related to the adoption of the FARA law.

The fact is, our law was adopted practically one-to-one with the American version. So, it is not a 'Russian' law, but a direct analogue of the law passed in the citadel of democracy – the United States. However, its opponents counter with the argument that Georgian democracy has not yet reached the heights of Western countries, particularly the United States. They point to the independent judicial system in place there and other factors. The radical opposition argues that democratic institutions in Georgia are underdeveloped, and the country is plagued by corruption. Their main accusation is that there are no democratic institutions in the country that ensure the fairness of elections, whether parliamentary or presidential. Therefore, the lack of such democratic institutions is seen as unacceptable for the adoption of the FARA law," the professor noted.

How this law will be used remains to be seen, he adds.

"If labels like 'foreign agent' start being attached, it will probably harm the country. On the other hand, if the focus is on transparency of everything that is happening, then I don’t see anything wrong with it. The thing is, in this case, if the law is used to identify any illegal or extremist actions—such as purchasing, with Western funds, devices like explosives or pyrotechnics, which were actively used against police officers, or other means to destabilize the situation within the country—then that is a completely different matter.

I think the polarization after this law comes into effect will continue. In fact, today the opposition is standing apart. Everyone is waiting for the Trump administration to turn its attention to the South Caucasus, and specifically to Georgia. The public is waiting. Let’s see what kind of assessment the new U.S. administration will give to the situation in Georgia," said Nachkebia.

Political scientist and founder of the SIKHA Foundation research center, Archil Sikharulidze, stated that the adoption of the transparency law, or the foreign agent law, and in its latest form FARA, marks the final chapter, the final step of the government’s battle against foreign agencies that have funded both positive initiatives and, unfortunately, various protest movements in Georgia.

"One could say that Europe forced the Georgian Dream to adopt this law. It delayed it, did not want to, understanding that it would lead to a conflict with the West, but European bureaucrats believed that the Georgian government had no right to know how Europe spends its money in Georgia, because Tbilisi should be grateful that Europe is doing this. However, since Europe turned away from the Georgian Dream as a party, it was forced to take this step.

Protest movements at the moment are pointless, attended only by a few fanatical individuals who are fixated on a European future and politically motivated people. This law will allow the government to finally cut off support to those who used European and American money to influence political life, funding protests, preparing protest movements, or conducting training for young people who later became involved in street actions.

On the one hand, this indicates that relations with the West (in this case, Europe, because America under Trump has withdrawn from this platform) will remain at a low level. On the other hand, it suggests that the Georgian Dream might grow in terms of politics and geopolitics and realize that Georgia’s main interest is the security of its sovereignty, and the ability, in the event of a dispute with America, Europe, China, or Russia, to maintain a sovereign policy. Citizens should prioritize the well-being of their state, rather than fulfilling the demands of those who fund external interests," the researcher emphasized.

He believes that if this law is used to strengthen sovereignty and patriotic sentiments, it would be a good thing.

"But if this law is used to suppress critical viewpoints in the country, then unfortunately, it will lead to nothing good, because in Georgia, injustice and attempts to suppress critical thinking always result in the state's failure.

It seems to me that the Georgian Dream will not go down this path. They will simply be very cautious about external financing and use the law to limit certain areas from foreign interference. Specifically, training with young people, certain financial investments in political processes—all of this will be restricted," Sikharulidze believes.