Georgia’s ruling party official says French foreign interference bill confirms Georgian Dream’s arguments on Transparency Law

Levan Machavariani, the First Deputy Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, said on Thursday that French senators’ support for a bill aimed at combating foreign influence once again confirmed the arguments the Georgian Dream had put forward during the adoption of Georgia’s transparency law.

Machavariani welcomed the French senators’ decision, saying it demonstrated their commitment to national security and sovereignty.

“This indicates that they care about their country’s security and the strengthening of its sovereignty. External interference is a challenge, especially in the context of elections. Who, if not Georgia, would understand this? Naturally, a state must adopt legislation to prevent such interference, and that is precisely what France is doing. This once again confirms the validity of the arguments Georgian Dream put forward when the transparency law was being adopted”, he said.

French senators have backed a bill aimed at combating foreign interference and influence at the committee level.

The proposed legislation includes several measures, including a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of €45,000 for the dissemination of disinformation.