Interpretations differ on German Chancellor’s remarks on Georgia’s foreign transparency bill

After Friday’s press briefing in Berlin with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, members of both the ruling Georgian Dream and the opposition offered contrasting views on the German Chancellor’s statements over a proposed bill concerning transparency in foreign influence.

Expressing apprehensions over the bill, which suggests categorizing non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in Georgia as “aligned with the interests of a foreign power” if they receive over 20 percent of their funding from abroad, Olaf Scholz highlighted the European Union’s critical stance on the matter.

Responding to queries about why European partners were expressing concerns over the draft law, “particularly when many countries have already adopted similar legislation”, Scholz clarified the bloc currently lacked comparable legislation. He emphasized that while discussions about transparency in various domains were ongoing, there had not been a decision made yet, and it was unlikely to materialize.

Rati Ionatamishvili, chairman of the parliament’s human rights protection committee from the ruling party interpreted Scholz’s statement as confirmation of a similar bill in the European Union that the chancellor disapproved of.

He stressed that while the law originated both in Europe and in Georgia, “a crucial distinction arises –  while it undergoes discussion in Europe, there is an expectation for Georgia to simply retract the law without dialogue or justification”. Emphasizing Georgia’s sovereignty, he asserted that the country possessed the agency to act independently, akin to its European counterparts.

Greta Tsitsava, deputy chair of the Georgian Dream faction, praised Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s “clear and reasoned” responses during the briefing.

However, members of the opposition, such as Levan Khabeishvili from the United National Movement, seized on Scholz’s remarks as validation that the proposed law was incompatible with European standards. Khabeishvili urged the government to reconsider the legislation, suggesting that it did not align with the will of the Georgian people.

Additionally, Paata Manjgaladze, the general secretary of the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party, pointed out Chancellor Scholz’s reference to the bill and cautioned against adopting it.