"I call on all politicians and leaders in Georgia to make good use of this window of opportunity and ensure that Georgia stays on the European path supported by its people," the EU's top official wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). "In its current form - the law is not in line with EU values and path," Michel stressed. The new law requires any non-governmental organization (NGO) or media outlet that receives more than 20% of its funding from abroad to register in Georgia as an "organisation pursuing the interests of a foreign power" and submit to extra scrutiny. On behalf of the European Commission, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has already urged Georgia to "withdraw the law", which he said ran counter to the bloc's "core values and principles". "I continue to follow closely the developments in Georgia," Charles Michel added.

🇬🇪President Salome @Zourabichvili_S’s veto of the transparency law offers a moment for further reflection. In its current form - the law is not in line with EU values and path.

I call on all politicians and leaders in Georgia to make good use of this window of opportunity and…

— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) May 18, 2024

Pro-Western President Zurabishvili, who has been at loggerheads with the government, announced earlier on Wednesday that she had vetoed the "foreign influence" legislation, which has sparked mass protests in the Caucasus country. However, it is a largely symbolic move as the ruling Georgian Dream party that proposed the law says it has enough votes in parliament to override her. Critics of the legislation, which was passed on Tuesday, see it as an attempt to steer Georgia away from Europe and closer to Russia, which has similar legislation, and have dubbed it the "Russian law". The government's move has been condemned by NATO, the European Commission and the United Nations. A former Soviet republic, Georgia has been an official candidate for EU membership since December 2023 and also aspires to join the Western military alliance. Read Also: Georgia's president vetoes controversial foreign agents law (in Portuguese)