Estonian FM warns Georgia’s new grant law threatens civil society and EU aspirations

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has sharply criticized Georgia’s newly passed legislation that requires foreign donors to seek government approval before funding civil society organizations, warning that it undermines democratic independence and distances the country from Europe.

In a statement posted on social media, Tsahkna said the amendments threaten “to end the functioning of civil society independently from government” and represent a serious step away from European values and integration.

The criticism comes after the Georgian Parliament approved controversial changes to the Organic Law on Political Unions of Citizens on April 16. The legislation was fast-tracked and passed in its third reading with 82 votes from the ruling Georgian Dream party and its ally, People’s Power. The new law says that any foreign grants to local organizations must first receive formal approval from the government, or they will be considered illegal. Oversight and enforcement will be handled by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, headed by Razhden Kuprashvili, raising alarms among international observers over potential political misuse.