The day after the controversial NGO law was passed, tens of thousands protested again in Georgia. The foreign ministers of European Union countries also participated. Meanwhile, Türkiye announced a similar proposed law.

In Georgia, tens of thousands of people took to the streets again to protest a recently passed law on “foreign influence.”

An Agence France-Presse journalist reported that about 30,000 people gathered in front of Parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, on Wednesday alone. Demonstrations also took place in the cities of Kutaisi and Zalinghikha in the west of the country.

European ministers demonstrate

The foreign ministers of Estonia, Iceland and Lithuania, who were visiting Georgia, also participated in the protests in Tbilisi. Senior diplomats addressed the demonstrators.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told AFP that he and his colleagues participated in the protest „to support the desire of the Georgian people to become part of the European Union and NATO.” The Georgian national anthem and the European anthem „Ode to Joy” were played at the demonstration.

Parliament in Tbilisi approved the controversial law on Tuesday. According to this, organizations and media that receive at least 20% of funding from abroad must in the future be registered in the former Soviet republic as bodies “pursuing the interests of foreign powers.”

Similarities with Russian law

Critics see similarities with the law against „foreign agents” in Russia, which enables authorities there to take wide-ranging measures against critical media and organizations. There have been massive protests against the law in Georgia for weeks.

The adoption of the law sparked international criticism. The European Union, the United Nations and NATO called on the government in Tbilisi to change course. It also called on the federal government to withdraw the law. Georgia has been an official candidate for European Union membership since December. With the new law, it has become difficult to imagine the European future of this Caucasian country.

Türkiye plans to issue a similar law

On the other hand, a draft law has been introduced in neighboring Turkey requiring the imprisonment of journalists and scholars who work for foreign “interests”. The proposed amendment to the Turkish Penal Code stipulates prison sentences ranging from three to seven years, according to the text obtained by Agence France-Presse.

The draft law applies to “any person who conducts or orders the conduct of research on (Turkish) citizens or institutions on behalf of or for the strategic interest of a foreign organization or state in order to act against the security, political, internal or external interests of the state.” „.

As of 4:36 p.m| Reading time: 3 minutes

DrSlovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in mortal danger after being attacked. This was announced by the government office in Bratislava, TASR news agency reported.

Fico was shot after a cabinet meeting at the House of Culture in the town of Handlova. He was taken to hospital. Handlova is located about 150 kilometers northeast of the capital, Bratislava. The exact background was clear at first.

TASR reported that Deputy Speaker of Parliament Lobos Blaha confirmed the attack during a parliamentary session and postponed it until further notice. A Reuters employee said he heard several gunshots and saw police arresting a man. Security forces took the arrested man to a car and took him away.

Emergency services told TASR that a helicopter carrying an emergency doctor was sent to Vico after the accident. The police evacuated the House of Culture, where the government meeting was being held.

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova condemned the “brutal and brutal attack.” She added: “I hope Robert Fico has a lot of strength at this critical moment to recover from the attack.”

A few days ago, Fico himself accused the liberal opposition of creating a climate of hostility against the government. It cannot be ruled out that violence will occur at some point in such a climate.

Schulz and von der Leyen comment on the attack

Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly condemned the attack. He wrote on the online platform “X”: “I am shocked by the news of the cowardly assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Fico. Violence should have no place in European politics. During these hours, my thoughts are with Robert Fico, his relatives and the citizens of Slovakia.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attack as “abhorrent.” “Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our greatest common good,” she wrote on X. Her thoughts were with Vico and his family.

European Council President Charles Michel was also shocked. “Violence and such attacks cannot be justified by anything,” he wrote on X.

Fiko has been the Prime Minister of Slovakia again since 2023. He was Prime Minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018.

Fico is one of the founders of his party Samir. Their policies fall into „socialist internationalism”, and their policies are also criticized as populist. Recently, Fico angered people by saying that Ukraine is a country controlled by the United States. Slovakia will prevent Kiev from joining NATO. During a visit to Uzhhorod, right on the Slovak-Ukrainian border However, Fico said afterwardsHe said that his country would continue to provide humanitarian aid despite differences of opinion and would not prevent private arms deals. Regarding domestic politics, Fico is accused of restructuring the state to serve his own interests, similar to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.