Georgia Country Surge: 7 Reasons This Caucasus Nation Is Exploding in Popularity Right Now

Tbilisi, Georgia—Georgia’s political future is at a crossroads as Parliament pushes ahead with a controversial “foreign agents” law just months after the South Caucasus nation secured long-awaited EU-candidate status. The bill, formally titled “On Transparency of Foreign Influence,” would require media outlets and civil-society organizations that receive at least 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence and disclose detailed financial information. Widespread street protests Tens of thousands of Georgians have flooded Rustaveli Avenue nightly since the draft was re-introduced in March, waving both Georgian and EU flags and chanting “No to Russian law.” Riot police have deployed water cannons, stun grenades and pepper spray; rights monitors counted hundreds of injuries and more than 250 arrests during the first week alone. EU warns of democratic backsliding Brussels has warned that adoption of the law would “seriously jeopardize” Georgia’s accession talks and could trigger the suspension of €3.5 billion in pre-accession assistance. In an unusually blunt statement, EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell called the bill “incompatible with European values” and a “serious setback for democracy”. Government defiant The ruling Georgian Dream party insists the measure merely promotes transparency and mirrors U.S. FARA regulations. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accuses Western NGOs of “shadow lobbying” intended to drag Georgia into “another war.” Observers note that language in the draft closely resembles Russia’s 2012 foreign-agents statute, which the Kremlin has used to cripple independent media and civic groups. Regional and security stakes Georgia’s Western trajectory has long irritated Moscow, which occupies 20 percent of Georgian territory after the 2008 war. Analysts say alienating Brussels could leave Tbilisi more vulnerable to Russian pressure and diminish NATO cooperation in the strategically vital Black Sea corridor. Economic impact Ratings agencies warn that a freeze in EU funding may curb Georgia’s post-pandemic rebound; European markets account for over a quarter of Georgian exports, led by wine, mineral water and IT services. Tourism operators also fear fresh instability could scare off the record 7 million visitors the National Tourism Administration projected for 2025. What happens next President Salome Zourabichvili has pledged to veto the bill, but Georgian Dream holds enough seats to override her. Protest organizers, a broad coalition of students, journalists and opposition parties, vow nonstop demonstrations until the draft is withdrawn. Should the government stand firm, analysts predict a summer of escalating unrest and a possible pause—if not reversal—in Georgia’s EU path. Key takeaway The clash over the foreign-agents law has become a litmus test for Georgia’s democratic credentials. With Brussels watching and civil society mobilized, the outcome will determine whether the country continues its decades-long march toward Europe or pivots toward deeper isolation and Russian influence.