MEP Viola von Cramon Condemns Georgian Dream's Reintroduction of Russian Law
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
MEP Viola von Cramon sharply criticized the Georgian ruling party, Georgian Dream, for reintroducing the controversial 'Russian law', accusing them of lying about their intentions not to revive the scrapped legislation. She characterized this move as part of the party's anti-EU, pro-Russian stance aimed at derailing Georgia's path to EU integration to benefit Moscow-aligned oligarchs.
Von Cramon argued that the law targets pro-democracy NGOs by labeling them as foreign agents to damage their reputation and facilitate the ruling party's continued undermining of Georgian democracy and its European aspirations without consequence. She highlighted that, contrary to suppressing actual Russian agents posing threats to Georgia, the law would allow them to operate freely.
The Georgian Dream has lied as usual - they promised not to reintroduce the law they had to scrap a year ago, but they did it anyway. This is a continuation of the anti-EU and pro-Russian policy of the ruling party in recent years. The bill intends to sabotage Georgia's EU path and please the oligarchs' handlers in Moscow.
The aim of the bill is to smear only pro-democracy NGOs as foreign agents, undermine their credibility in the eyes of the public and allow Georgian Dream to continue eroding Georgian democracy and European future with impunity. Needless to say that Russian agents, who are a real threat to Georgia and are widely present in the country, will be allowed to continue their covert operations without any hurdle," Von Cramon's statement reads.
The MEP stressed that Georgia's EU candidacy was achieved despite the government, thanks to the Georgian people's dedication to democracy and European values. She warned that adopting the 'Russian law' would effectively close Georgia's door to European integration, as it would lead to the suspension of accession talks and any other forms of EU integration, urging the EU to make its position clear to both the Georgian government and its people.
"The EU candidacy was granted to Georgia not because of its government, but in spite of it. The decision was a credit to the courage of the Georgian people to stand up for democracy and European values. The EU needs to clarify unequivocally to the Georgian government and the People of Georgia that by adopting the 'Russian law', the Georgian dream is deliberately shutting the doors to the country's European future, as there will be no opening of accession talks or any other form of the EU integration after this," Cramon wrote.
