To foreigners asking why we, Georgians are so appalled: Laws in various democratic countries are very different from ours. The Georgian one doesn't concern lobbyists (unlike FARA,) but any NGO or Media that merely get more than 20% of their funding from abroad, doesn't matter if they are serving Georgian interests or not, doesn't matter they are funded from Russia or from the EU, whether they are helping the people with disabilities or are involved in politics, they are labelled as agents, which is an equivalent of spy in Georgian language and most people working in this sector now are not going to register as such, so effectively the government will get rid of the watchdogs, just like it happened in Russia. It's the same pattern. Plus they already extended the law to the physical persons, even though they had pledged they wouldn't do so. They can request any type of information from anyone connected to these NGOs or even their friends and relatives, including extremely personal data. It's downright unconstitutional at this point, but hey, they control the constitutional court too. over 200 thousand people (with some estimates 300k) protested several days ago in a country with 3.7 million population (an official number from 2022, a lot of people have migrated since then). This is the biggest protest after regaining independence in 1991. Please, however some of you might dislike the West and loath their mistakes, make yourself familiar with the context and our struggle for freedom here, before you applaud our government for standing tall against Western pressure, they are betraying 2500 year old civilizational choice of this country and all the best people who have died and suffered for this cause. All foreigners I personally know, support us and there are some bots commenting here of course, I still wanted to get across our voice to a genuine observer. Respectfully, A Georgian protestor, who wishes merely to live in a free and democratic country

The protest of a minority is also democracy but a majority choice is more democracy

@kairaIda-ez6bp

15 күн бұрын

Tha majority is protesting

@rustyyb8450

15 күн бұрын

Hmmmm.... 100K protest from population of 3.7mil. That's 2.7% of the population. In the U.S. that would be 9.2 million. Tbilisi is only 1.08 million so a 100K is 9.3% of the city is out. You wouldn't expect that children would be out, so, subtract 20% off of 1.08 million to make Tbilisi's population 864K and so the protesters are 11.5% of the population of Tbilisi. Yes those who protest are a minority,,, but,,,, how many will the streets hold so to make participation noticable?

@Skepticof

13 күн бұрын

Yeah, because Georgia population is a few thousands 😂​@@kairaIda-ez6bp

@davidpataraia9293

11 күн бұрын

Majority is definitely not protesting, you should see also demonstration on may 17th.

@gabelashvilinino6894

11 күн бұрын

@@davidpataraia9293 With conservative estimates over 200 thousand people (with some estimates 300k, this seems exaggerated) protested several days ago in a country with 3.7 million population (an official number from 2022, a lot of people have migrated since then). Behind each protestor there are family members who support the protest, but couldn't attend. This is the biggest protest after regaining independence in 1991. If this is not the majority protest, what is?

That same law exists in the USA and EU. Are they also pro-Russian?

@robvannNS

16 күн бұрын

Exactly.. what is happeening in Georgia is much less restrictive. Keeping out foreign meddling should be of interest to every country.

@georget.1203

16 күн бұрын

So, you are OK with marking international aid organization, news organization and fair election monitoring organization as foreign agents? I guess if you are going towards Dictatorship makes sense. What laws are you referring to in the EU and US? Please provide facts. Don't just say it exist.

@jacklam9843

16 күн бұрын

@@georget.1203 international aid organization, news organization etc have nothing to hide ; so they are not afraid of registering....

@trumpforever6706

16 күн бұрын

@@georget.1203 US: "Foreign Agents Registration Act", 1938.

@jptrainor

16 күн бұрын

​@@georget.1203All those organizations can continue their work.

Western nations have their own similar foreign agent bills. So Georgia is simply following western values.

@Erivanci

16 күн бұрын

BS spewing. The US law is COMPLETELY different from the r-ian one. Propagandist cnt.

@Pekka.Pekka.1296

2 күн бұрын

No. Watch the video, little troll.

The western powers showed exactly the same support for Ukraine and we all know the results. One thing I would say to the Georgian people if I could. You are very lucky to have a leadership that makes sense. They just saved your country's future.

@Djursnerable

16 күн бұрын

Russian bot

@robford3211

14 күн бұрын

@kostsks Yes I live in Georgia it’s a wonderful system : the state pension is 100 dollars a month while the politicians in Georgian Dream are riding in 150 K BMW Why not if you can get away with looting

By limiting mi6 or CIA activities may be 😂😂😂

The US, UK and EU have even more Draconian foreign interference laws. The foreign interference law currently proposed in Canada will require disclosure if even 1% of an organization's funding is from foreign entities! Canada's proposed law even applies to school boards ... it's not just limited to political parties and NGO's.

So no EU and RU intervention in inner affairs?! How dare them! 😂

What's ironic is the United States has a foreign agent's law that is far stricter than either Georgia's or Russia's which only levy fines. The law in the US has criminal penalties for failure to register as a foreign agent.

@Orson2u

16 күн бұрын

EXACTLY. Does the EU also shame the US for it?

@MOUSAI_Melpomene

16 күн бұрын

Not the same thing. US has freedom. This will kill democracy in Georgia. It cannot stay

@desireco

15 күн бұрын

and yet we have AIPAC running our country

@tonidimitrova6078

15 күн бұрын

​@@Orson2uare you crazy? Who tells EU what to say and do???

If this law is pro-Russia then the USA and EU must also be pro-Russia since it has a similar law... I guess it's only "pro-Russia" when it is not a US overseas territory.

They don’t want to be same as Ukraine 👍

@Titan-ee9em

15 күн бұрын

Chinese go your way!

@upheaver

15 күн бұрын

Whatever do you mean - "whoever in Eastern Europe adopts foreign media is a rightful target for Russia"?! Thank God for the internet!

Let the people pick their future

@katong1953

14 күн бұрын

Without this law, the CIA will pick their future. The US has a similar, but even stricter, law. This channel should just close shop.

@Lomjariasofi008

11 күн бұрын

We did, 78% of georgia's population chouse eu, that's why we are having a manifestations

Doesn't the US also have a similar bill?

Whichever government West dislikes calls regime although Georgian government is democratically elected one. Do not turn Georgia to Ukraine, mind your own colonies!

@gabelashvilinino6894

11 күн бұрын

Hi, I am Georgian and they have been ragging elections and using administrative resources, threatening people they will lose their jobs etc. also bribing people to vote for them. Even if they were democratically elected, they are going against our own constitution now and we have the right and duty to oppose this. Please make yourself familiar with the context before you shun the protest bc you don't like the West. We have our own agency, depriving us the agency is the most colonialist thing you could do.

Georgia should try hard not to become another Ukraine.

Nice, democratically elected majority in parliament makes decisions for themselves, it's immediately pro-Russian majority. just because the law is similar to Russian. And American by the way. Are there any Russian NGOs in Georgia? anyone knows?

Where is Victoria Nuland with cookies😂😂😂😂

@MrFullService

15 күн бұрын

You mean Vic Nudelman.

@snelas2

15 күн бұрын

This time Landsbergis has come, same thing

@hhKJgf1M8a0rzt8hP

15 күн бұрын

You can't stop people of Georgia from getting their freedom and choosing their own future.

@slavenaljinovic1162

15 күн бұрын

@@hhKJgf1M8a0rzt8hP The majority of Georgian people voted for the current Government. So the majority of Georgians are OK with the Law on Foreign Agents If the majority in the future decides different there are next elections where they can choose different parties who will abolish the Law they dont like That is democracy

@anaakubardia

8 күн бұрын

She has democracy-poisoned and delicious cakes for you. Maybe you've already tried them ?😅

France even can dream Georgian democrazy!!!

West not happy they can't pay people to pretend to be anti Russia without saying they are funding them 😂😂😂

So Russia and China can fund French NGOs right!

Why is it that anything anti Western is undemocratic even though it’s a majority choice.This is nonsense.The Georgians choose to go Russian

@jomaoliveira7949

15 күн бұрын

Yes, Ruzzian Democrazy 😂😂

@NBer0

15 күн бұрын

no we don't, in fact 85% of georgians want to be part of EU

@Zanzan8

15 күн бұрын

The way EU treat their farmers. And protesters.....the EU democracy is a farce..EU is not Democratic

Very good discussion, captured well the National contexts and regional context and issues for Georgia and Caucasus

Well done Georgian parliament for being assertive & decisive. Never give to the US and its proxies. Otherwise, the future will be like Ukraine.

Finny how adopting a law that's a common law in the USA can be so controversial in Georgia. Like, it's ok to air foreign /Russian interventions in the USA but not in Georgia? Or maybe somebody is afraid that the national endowment for democracy (haha), might be shown to be the one stirring up some not so democratic trends? Now that Ukraine is done, we need another victim...

well,actually after the pathetic western commitment to ukraine ,it's no wonder that the georgian elites do not want to risk another 2008. Despite the aspirations of the people.

@MOUSAI_Melpomene

16 күн бұрын

Maga fascists are fools

@tonidimitrova6078

15 күн бұрын

All the people need to go out is a bag of cookies and a banner. Who cares to show them who pulls the strings?

couldn't get a single Georgian on the Panel? France24, you're better then that!

@truth3921

15 күн бұрын

Pay attention

@gabelashvilinino6894

11 күн бұрын

There is a Georgian there, Tornike Gordadze

I'm confused about the difference between the various countries supporting or opposing foreign media, it seems like everyone does it in some way so we need more clarity as it relates to Georgia and Slovenia. Just saying public broadcasting and 70 years old isn't enough context.

@DallasTaylor

15 күн бұрын

Also, wouldn't the origin of this type of law be the large Asian country that kicked out every US partner around 2019 or so?

@gabelashvilinino6894

11 күн бұрын

Laws in various democratic countries are very different from ours. The Georgian one doesn't concern lobbyists (unlike FARA,) but any NGO or Media that merely gets more than 20% of their funding from abroad, doesn't matter if they are serving Georgian interests or not, doesn't matter they are funded from Russia or from the EU, they are labelled as agents, which is an equivalent of spy in Georgian language and most people working in this sector now are not going to register as such, so effectively the government will get rid of the watchdogs, just like it happened in Russia. It's the same pattern. Plus they already extended the law to the physical persons, even though they had pledged they wouldn't and they can request any type of information from anyone connected to these NGOs or even their friends and relatives, including extremely personal info. It's downright unconstitutional at this point, but hey they control the constitutional court too.

The same type of law exists in USA etc..

amazing debate thanks

Big win for Georgia

@MOUSAI_Melpomene

16 күн бұрын

Wrong. This won’t end well for them. Mark this post and we’ll see how they do in a year from now

Look I'm not saying anything country in the land have not got issues however this is way out of order

They are blackmailing the country for operating in a democratic process, with eu rejection. And yet the eu and us have the same laws in their countries, although the president of Georgia is a specialagent for foreign interest.

Politicians dont make a government. Ppl do. You cant have a goevenment without ppl. Good luck with that law

What happen when a country become an eu member. Look at Portugal.

Francois Holland was persuaded because the campaign foundling from Gaddafi

Don’t threaten daddy P. Be good kids.

The west is desperate.

@Djursnerable

16 күн бұрын

Russian bot

@jdocean1

15 күн бұрын

Not really. Cool story though.

@waynegore5291

15 күн бұрын

@Por0 No, because you are afraid that your mastet uncle sam won't pay for you, and that will happen in several months' time when MAGA president is in office.

What the people want - is the only choice for election! These tv presenters just can’t understand that the role of the government is to serve their country and the people! They are so detached from reality!

I've never seen political guests sound so deluded and immature. I hope they are not getting paid for this. What a waste of money. Peace and love

Things are quite obvious. The Geogrians used to try how it tastes to confront Russia and side with NATO and now learn from mistakes. This is good.

Why does the greed of power and money always get in the way of the human good? The Georgian people are right in doing all they can to remain a truly free democratic country as it is a way better option than the cruel suppressed other option.

Learn from Ukraine crisis and stop repeating the same in Georgia.

About a time Georgia found its head!

Orban would want more EU Member States, not merely to appease and please Czar Putin in Moscow, but to act as a cohesive Block of resistance to further European liberalization and integration. Enlargement of EU could easily see the division of the EU itself into a "Western EU" and an "Eastern EU" acting as both a political and economic buffer between EU (as a whole) and Russia and as a conduit for Russian influence of European Affairs.

A crowd? It was thousands!!!

@gabelashvilinino6894

11 күн бұрын

over 200k with conservative estimates

Uhuru movement was stopped in the US

❤

Who is oligarch in George Republic ??? And who are his supporters ???

@gabelashvilinino6894

11 күн бұрын

Bidzina Ivanishvili, he has no supporters basically, that is to say his supporters are actually people who hate the previous government and he has been employing fearmongering to stay in power. He has no positive agenda, only fear that the previous government will return keeps their supporters in.

Why Europeans interfered in another country's affaires

‘I won’t give up’… 😅

There approximately 1ngo for every 200 citizens. You don't say that. These NGO are funded by America in the most part. The media is also paid by them.

Well done Georgia 🇬🇪 but be careful , we know what happened to Slovakia 🇸🇰 PM yesterday

Every countries has the right to legislative their own Laws according to their needs and interests moreover western countries has to mind their own business and cant dictate terms and conditions to Georgia or any country

Joining EU!? Why backing a dying horse? It’s absurd.

Better stay in step with Russia......look at the terrible things they're doing with ukraine....

People loves evil.

Who doesn't want tohe Georgians to lnow who pays for the cookies? If we are full of Russian agents, why the opposition to them registering as foreign agents? Reluctant to expose the rest of the foreign agents?

Cancel the visa free regime and suspend the EU candidacy. If they don't wanna be in that team then let them have it. Maybe they can join the Customs Union.

@ericp1139

16 күн бұрын

They are merely practicing what other EU nations have with their foreign agent policies.

@ldhorricks

16 күн бұрын

@@user-vq1pt7yw9l a 5 year old could come up with a better response...

@mnemonija

16 күн бұрын

It's as if Georgia doesn't want to be like Ukraine any more.

@koskok2965

16 күн бұрын

@@ldhorricks A 5 year old would be able to tell that this clownshow is about Western foreign actors manipulating troglodytes to prevent the passing of laws stripping them of their influence. The troglodyte making the original comment doesn't deserve a better response.

@Erivanci

16 күн бұрын

You can't sit on two chairs. Either you're with EU or not. Apparently they are not. Then don't expect to get EU favors. No visa free regime.

Russian bots working overtime on this forum.

@jdocean1

15 күн бұрын

They’re everywhere.

@babahanuman83

15 күн бұрын

Beware! They are also in your sleeping room! You are doomed!

@GwynBleys

15 күн бұрын

Clever way of a disguise but we know that you are one.

@mysticwatersoo

15 күн бұрын

Because western bots have become obsolete and stretched after years of pushing for chaos everywhere

Gerge soras money buying these jackel who are making noise.

Disgusting they just want there freedom

Sorry Georgia yiur not going to be able to stay in the EU with that bill your gone

I like Jean-Michel … seasoned diplomat who is actually trying to speak the truth here .. the other guy is next to him has no clue about the reality and is just talking nonsense as per me ..

How long America will you impose will on small, moderate weak countries!!!

Russia do have the money stop kidding yourselves

TL'DR: The EU wants independent countries to depend only on EU; not on other countries and not on their own citizens. And when the EU wants them to have an opinion, the EU will give it to them. It's quite simple, I don't understand how Georgians or Hungarians or Slovaks or Serbs don't get it.

Bruhh. But how can they have a SUPER majority in the parliament but not outside it. It doesn’t make any sense

Foreigner speak, read and write English as their second language. So they watch and learn and analyse and compare.and contrast to make their decision.

@ 16:20 It's sad to hear the man apply the label "war party" to those assisting Ukraine's resistance to Russia's use of military force to incorporate Ukraine's territory into its own. He would have you think that effort to dissuade using military force to redraw borders is war mongering. Ukraine's assault of Russian troops ends when Russia quits sending its military into Ukraine. He is so confused and treated as though he's clear minded.

Why not let these countries into EU, but put a hold on their voting power? Also, it is time that Hungry lost it voting power in the EU. So, they cannot hold up what is needed to strengthen the EU.

@trumpforever6706

16 күн бұрын

Hungary is one of the few EU nations that shows that it does not want a Europe completely dependent on US politics and you criticize it? 🤔

@georget.1203

16 күн бұрын

@@trumpforever6706 To see what Orbán politics is. You just need to see whom he has meetings with. Orbán is anti-west.

Georgia, going back to the middle age!

@Mitiku-mp7kv

15 күн бұрын

Because of the truth that your midia couldn't hide to act like they are Georgia's

@GwynBleys

15 күн бұрын

I dont know how much you know about Georgia but it never left the middle ages lol

@magenta130

15 күн бұрын

Chasing the Western values are now of no value at all. Invest your energies in the culture and traditions of your own country first. It has been tried and tested

Fitso had the wrong world view. How dared he oppose the intervention in Ukraine? Wasn't he afraid of Russia at his door???

Georgia has always been Russia,from centuries of history.

@badgeologist

15 күн бұрын

Go read the history!!!

@tomfosterlan

12 күн бұрын

You meant occupied !

Well done Georgia!

Georgia is not Europe and and georgians are not Europeans 😅😅 So, relax and Good luck!

@TonyMontana-me2os

10 күн бұрын

What are they then, but turkey is also part of European union and they part Asia

@peterrezac881

9 күн бұрын

@@TonyMontana-me2os Please educate yourself better before you make dumb comment like that. Turkey is NOT part of European union.

Look his head

Deanguars