Punch in the Georgian parliament! Ruling party leader attacked over “Russian law” – POLITICO

The government says the move, which will apply to NGOs, campaign groups and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, is necessary to prevent undue influence on Georgian politics.

Critics, however, compare it to Russia’s foreign agents law, which has been used to stifle dissent in the country, calling it “Russian law.” Major protests last year forced Georgian Dream to put these plans on hold, before unexpectedly reintroducing them earlier this month.

“We should shove this law up their ass,” Elisashvili told reporters after the incident. “We are either Georgians or slaves, which is not the case. Mdinaradze was punched in the Russian face.

Mdinaradze then accused his attacker of having organized “a planned, allegedly paid provocation”.

Georgia, which was granted EU candidate status last year despite concerns over democratic backsliding, has been warned by Brussels that its future membership depends on tackling political polarization and strengthening protection human rights. Last week, an EU official told POLITICO that Georgian Dream should “withdraw” the bill, which the Commission had previously declared “incompatible with EU values.”

However, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze hit back at the EU – as well as the US, which also expressed concern. He called on ambassadors from Brussels and Washington to publicly debate the issue with him, accusing foreign officials of choosing to “persist in making baseless political statements in the public space.”