Will the government fall?

Protests against the law: Kremlin looks to Georgia

The police respond with brutal violence against the demonstrators.

(Bild: AFP)

Hundreds of thousands of people have been taking to the streets in Georgia for weeks. Against a law that facilitates repression against critics. Should the government fall, the question arises as to whether Moscow will stand idly by.

Georgia is on the brink of collapse. Eighty percent of the population want to join the EU - and the country wants the status of prospective accession candidate.

Government does too little for EU and NATO accession
So far, the government has taken a cautious approach towards Moscow. It welcomed the EU sanctions, but did not get involved. Although Georgia's government has set EU and NATO accession as its goal, it is doing nothing to achieve it. Quite the opposite: by passing the law on foreign influence, Prime Minister Iraklis Garibashvili of the Georgian Dream party has taken a step towards the Kremlin.

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The law stipulates that organizations that receive at least 20 percent of their funding from abroad must register with the authorities in Georgia. Critics see clear parallels with the law against "foreign agents" in Russia, which allows the authorities there to take massive action against critical media and organizations.

Sea of lights for democracy and freedom: this is what Georgians are taking to the streets for.

(Bild: AP/Zurab Tsertsvadze)

Hundreds of thousands have been taking to the streets against the law for weeks. With the flags of Georgia and the EU. The government responds with brutal police violence. If it doesn't get a grip on the situation, Moscow will soon be on the scene.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blames the West for the fact that there are "anti-Russian tendencies" in Georgia. Russia invaded Georgia once before in 2008. Since then, 20 percent of Georgian territory has been occupied by Russia. If the current, more Russia-friendly government is overthrown, the Kremlin could be called into action once again.