PM: Foreign funding of Georgian citizens’ political activity violates sovereignty; it is government’s duty to oppose

“For example, if a student receives a scholarship, the legislative amendments do not affect them. Therefore, it is a falsehood to claim that these amendments affect everyone who receives any form of funding,” stated Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, to journalists.

According to him, the law establishes that politics must not be financed from abroad.

“If a particular individual receives foreign funding to disseminate political content, this can, of course, be regulated under this law. Politics must not be financed from outside the country. It’s very straightforward. The law clearly states that political activities cannot be financed from abroad, and what constitutes political content is also straightforwardly defined by legislation. If such a situation occurs, naturally, the law we are enacting will be applicable,” noted Irakli Kobakhidze.

According to Kobakhidze, when political activities are financed from outside the country, it is the state’s constitutional obligation to protect its country’s sovereignty.

“For example, if a political podcast is being circulated and its advertising is financed from abroad, this essentially constitutes the funding of politics from outside the country, which violates the principle of national sovereignty. You may record a podcast — that is a matter of freedom of expression — but if it involves political content, foreign funding should not be involved, as this constitutes interference in Georgia’s sovereignty. It has long been established in law that funding a political party from abroad is prohibited; the same principle applies here. Why is this so difficult to understand?

Georgian citizens’ political activities should not be financed from abroad, as this breaches the fundamental principle of state sovereignty. It is therefore the constitutional responsibility of the government to defend and uphold the country’s sovereignty,” the Prime Minister stated.