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Georgia’s EU bid is being sabotaged by its own government, Brussels fears

Some 80 percent of Georgians want to join the EU, but the government seems to fear that membership could undermine its grip on power.

Last November, thousands of Georgians marched through their capital, Tbilisi, waving EU flags to celebrate their country’s having finally become a candidate to join the European Union.

Now, not six months on, they’re hitting the streets of Tbilisi again, this time to protest what they fear is a scheme to thwart their European ambitions — one hatched by their own government.

“I am even angrier today than I was last year,” said Nana Malashkhia, a civil servant who gained worldwide fame last year by waving an EU flag while being blasted by water cannon.

“I’m ready to do what it takes; there’s no turning back. The fate of this country hangs in the balance — either we return to the Russian orbit or continue on the track to European integration. I am ready.”

What reignited the protest movement was a controversial new bill — reminiscent of Russian legislation — introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party this week. The measure would force NGOs, think tanks, media outlets and campaign groups that receive funding from abroad to declare themselves as “foreign agents.”

ShittyBeatlesFCPres ,

I don’t have a problem with (or a say in) Georgia joining the EU but I worry that adopting the Euro will at some point harm smaller countries, especially those on the periphery. I don’t think Georgia is one but there are inherent trade-offs when you outsource your monetary policy to another country.

The U.S. dollar is used in a lot of places and the Federal Reserve does not take them into account at all. Often it’s used for stability reasons. But just as often, it can cause major hardship when there’s a recession or imbalance somewhere.

Politically, I think (or maybe assume) it’s good but from an economics standpoint, there’s a point when currency unions can be too large and it hurts the periphery. It might suck to have your currency weaken but it sucks more to adjust to the new reality the hard way (mass unemployment, usually). But hyperinflation sucks the most and more than 1 country should outsource their central bank and adopt a major currency.

autotldr Bot ,

This is the best summary I could come up with:

3.7 million) is falling behind other EU candidates such as Ukraine and Moldova in the race to open accession talks, and fears are growing in Brussels that Georgian Dream isn’t just dragging its feet on key reforms but is looking to actively derail the entire process.

The government’s opponents contend that EU membership is bad news for Georgian Dream, which they argue doesn’t want to upset relations with Moscow by taking a westward political trajectory.

Last March, the populist Georgian Dream administration was forced to drop an almost identical “foreign agent” bill after street protests that saw riot police clash with crowds, drawing condemnation from abroad.

Having warned last year that the Georgia government’s proposals were “incompatible with EU values and standards,” officials now have every reason to see the “foreign agents” bill as a deliberate attempt to drive a wedge in relations.

If the bill is passed, Zakashvili’s outlet, which is almost entirely sustained by foreign donor funding, would not just be branded as an agent — the government would also be able to carry out impromptu checks and access reporters’ personal data.

As he sees it, the government is unwilling to act on key EU demands regarding the accession process, such as judicial reform and curbing the influence of their wealthy backers, because it could weaken their hold on power.

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