Editorial: Le Monde

• For the second time in just over a year, an anti-democratic bill has sparked protests in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, potentially causing a conflict between Russia and the EU over the future of this former Soviet republic.
• The party Rêve Géorgien, led by a pro-Russian oligarch, proposed legislation that would require NGOs to declare themselves 'foreign agents' if 20% of their funding comes from a foreign source.
• According to polls, 80% of the Georgian population supports EU membership, and the proposed law has met with strong opposition.
• The EU granted Georgia candidate country status in December 2023, conditional on the introduction of reforms, particularly in the legal and media spheres.
• The next elections are scheduled for October and the EU is keen to avoid a scenario like Ukraine's in 2013, when the pro-Russian president's rejection of a treaty with the EU provoked a revolution.

Conclusion: The debate in Georgia over the controversial law poses a significant geopolitical challenge, the EU is aware of this and must use all its negotiation tools in Tbilisi.

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