Georgian Parliament Speaker says more countries adopting laws to counter foreign interference

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said on Tuesday that foreign interference has become a growing threat to democratic security, arguing that an increasing number of countries are adopting legislation aimed at enhancing transparency of foreign funding and influence.

Papuashvili made the remarks while addressing the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

“Foreign interference is a significant and persistent threat to democratic security. Moreover, it is a systemic and growing challenge”, Papuashvili said.

According to the Parliament Speaker, attempts by external actors to influence domestic political decisions and circumvent national institutions constitute a violation of state sovereignty rather than legitimate international cooperation.

“The European Union makes a valid assessment in this report. Foreign interference is a significant and persistent threat to democratic security. Moreover, it is a systemic and growing challenge. The situation is further aggravated by the gradual normalisation of foreign interference, which is presented as ‘engagement’, ‘partnership’ or ‘support’”, he said.

“However, we must call things by their proper name: when external actors seek to influence a country’s domestic political choices and circumvent its institutions, this is no longer cooperation. It is a violation of the fundamental principle of international law - the sovereignty of states”, he added.

Papuashvili argued that governments must remain accountable primarily to their citizens and act in accordance with national interests.

“In essence, this is a matter of governance and accountability. A government must be accountable to its own people and act in the national interest, rather than in the interests of foreign patrons or other external forces. A government operating under external pressure cannot be fully accountable to its citizens. This is precisely where the foundations of governance and accountability are undermined”, he said.

The Parliament Speaker highlighted what he described as a growing trend among countries to introduce or strengthen legislation addressing foreign funding and foreign interference.

“It is noteworthy that an increasing number of states, including some that previously criticised legislation and regulations aimed at countering foreign interference in other countries, are now adopting such laws themselves. Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and many other countries are tightening or adopting laws on transparency and foreign funding, as well as registration requirements”, he said.

According to Papuashvili, measures once regarded as exceptional are increasingly being recognised as legitimate instruments for protecting democratic systems.

“What was previously regarded as an exception is increasingly being recognised as a legitimate and necessary tool of democratic defence. The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness reminds us that genuine partnership requires assistance to strengthen national institutions and national ownership rather than replace them”, he noted.

Papuashvili also referred to Georgia’s legislation regulating foreign grants and foreign-funded organisations, presenting it as an example of what he described as a framework designed to safeguard sovereignty and accountability.

“Today, this important principle requires renewed attention, including beyond the development sector, because foreign interference is gradually replacing foreign aid. I would like to give Georgia as an example. Given the serious security and political challenges associated with foreign funding, Georgia’s Law on Grants now requires government approval before foreign grants can be issued. This is complemented by the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, which requires organisations receiving a significant share of their funding from abroad to register and publicly disclose that funding”, he said.

“Both laws are based on a simple principle: when foreign resources enter a country’s political or public life, citizens should have information about how those resources are being used. This is an expression of sovereignty and accountability, which are crucial to democratic resilience and good governance”, Papuashvili added.