The hastily adopted changes in Georgia pose a threat to the functioning of civil society independent of the government, – this is how Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna responded to the Georgian Parliament’s recent amendments to the "Grants Law."

"The changes hastily passed yesterday in Georgia require donors to obtain government approval in order to fund projects supporting civil society. This poses a threat to the functioning of civil society independent of the government and distances Georgia even further from Europe," Tsahkna wrote on X.

For context, yesterday the Georgian Parliament, through an expedited procedure and in the third reading, approved a legislative package which, once enacted, will prohibit international donor organizations from issuing grants without government approval. The same draft law also bans international organizations from holding lectures, seminars, or other similar public events in favor of political parties.