Georgian President urges citizens to choose between Europe or Russia

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, commenting on the scandalous law on "foreign agents," called on the country's citizens to make an "existential" choice between Europe and Russia. UNN reports this with reference to "Echo of the Caucasus." 

Details

Commenting on the Georgian Dream's decision to continue promoting the controversial law, as well as the crackdown on protesters opposing it, the Georgian president emphasized that the problem is "much more serious than this bill." 

"I will veto it, and it will be postponed. The main question is what will happen in the elections to be held in October next year. A lot of bills have been passed that show that the ruling party is trying to bring Georgia closer to Russia. This is something that the population of Georgia, the vast majority of which is 80%, has been saying for 30 years that they do not want," Zurabishvili said.

She also said that by promoting the law "on foreign agents" , the Georgian Dream thus "declared Georgia's partners - the West and the European Union - enemies and agents trying to organize a revolution in Georgia." 

"This law is a symbol, but in reality there is a choice - a decision, an existential choice that Georgia must make in the elections: Europe or Russia," Zurabishvili said.

Context 

On May 1, the Parliament of Georgia voted in favor of the law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" in the second reading.

In the evening of that day, thousands of people gathered near the Georgian parliament, demanding the withdrawal of the law, which was popularly nicknamed "Russian". According to local media reports, riot police used water cannons and tear gas against demonstrators at the building's official entrances. There were also reports of the use of rubber bullets. 

A total of 15 people were hospitalized in Georgia during the dispersal of a rally near the parliament in Tbilisi on May 1-2 , including law enforcement officers.