Thousands protest in Georgia against controversial foreign influence law

euronews (in English)

Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili has said she would veto the law if it is passed by parliament but the ruling party can override the veto by collecting 76 votes.

Transcript

00:00 Thousands of people in Georgia have again taken to the streets of the capital, Tbilisi,

00:07 to protest against the foreign influence transparency law.

00:12 Many protesters fear the proposed legislation would undermine democracy

00:16 and derail the country's chances of joining the European Union.

00:21 [Georgian]

00:50 The divisive draft law requires media and non-commercial organizations

00:56 to register as being under foreign influence

00:58 if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.

01:03 Critics have dubbed it the Russian law

01:06 because Moscow uses similar legislation to stigmatize media

01:10 and organizations seen as being at odds with the Kremlin.

01:14 But despite fierce public opposition,

01:17 the ruling Georgian Dream Party appears determined to press ahead.

01:21 [Georgian]

01:39 Although Georgia's president has said she would veto the law

01:43 if it's passed by parliament,

01:45 the ruling party can override that veto by collecting 76 votes.

01:51 Then the parliament's speaker can sign it into law.

01:55 [Whoosh]

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