The Rationale for Reintroducing the Foreign Agent Bill in Georgia before the 2024 Parliamentary Elections

Abstract

The reintroduction of the foreign agents bill, particularly targeting nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and independent media outlets, which occurred only months before the 2024 parliamentary election in Georgia, engendered inquiries into the underlying motivations of the governing party. Although it encountered significant resistance in March 2023, the government exhibited a readiness to risk civil discord by revisiting this contentious legislative agenda. This discourse suggests that the governing party perceives NGOs and independent media as formidable purveyors of social capital capable of mobilizing dissent against its authority. Consequently, the proposed constriction of NGO and media activities is ostensibly aimed at mitigating electoral turnover and fortifying the governing party's hegemony in the imminent parliamentary election.