On February 5, one of the leaders of „Georgian Dream“, Mamuka Mdinaradze, publicly announced that the party plans to adopt new legislative amendments that, among other things, will tighten the state's approach to the media and civil society organizations.

Civil society groups already view the proposed changes as a 'repressive' measure by the party, aimed at restricting the work of civil society organizations and the media in the country. 

According to Mdinaradze:

• Provisions mandating the participation of non-governmental organizations in the public decision-making process will be removed from the legislation;
• Instead of the existing so-called Russian law, they will introduce a draft law that is 'a direct copy of the current version of the American FARA' and will ensure its full implementation;
• A budget fund will be created to finance initiatives of public organizations, for which amendments will be made to the Law on Grants;
• A media law will be drafted to define standards for media objectivity and journalistic ethics. Additionally, foreign funding for media outlets will be restricted.

„Georgian Dream’s“ plan to remove the mandatory involvement of civil society organizations in the decision-making process would eliminate even formal opportunities for cooperation between the state and civil society. This decision would also further harm Georgia’s standing in the Open Government Partnership (OGP), especially given that the country’s membership is already temporarily suspended, with a final suspension decision expected in early 2026.

Moreover, if implemented, this initiative would directly contradict the 9th condition for opening negotiations with the European Union, which requires Georgia to ensure civil society’s participation in law-making and policy-making processes.

Given the current context, where the majority of organizations have not been registered in the register of organizations carrying foreign influence, the new law—set to replace the existing 'Russian law,' according to Mamuka Mdinaradze’s statement—is expected to be even more repressive and punitive towards civil society organizations. This initiative represents yet another step to impede the work of civil society.

On the other hand, the creation of a budgetary fund intended to cooperate with civil society organizations seems aimed at establishing a parallel civil sector and creating a virtual partnership.

In turn, restricting foreign funding for media outlets will cause irreparable damage to the existing media landscape in Georgia. This initiative is particularly concerning for digital publications, which rely more heavily on non-commercial sources of income. The worsening environment for media outlets will have a negative impact on freedom of speech and freedom of the press in the country.

As a result, the changes that Georgian Dream plans to implement will further deteriorate the environment for civil society organizations, effectively eliminate space for potential cooperation, and impose additional restrictions on media.