Georgian PM says “no one will dare to punish citizens” in response to claims on suspension of EU candidacy

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said “no one” would “dare to punish citizens” of the country, in response to threats by domestic radical opposition on potential suspension of the country's European Union membership candidate status following the Government’s adoption of the controversial law on transparency of foreign influence.

“They themselves have been saying for a while that the candidate status was granted not to the Government but the Georgian people. It will be ridiculous if someone now takes away the candidate status from the Georgian people”, Kobakhidze said.

“No one will dare to punish the Georgian people”, he added, claiming “over 60 percent of citizens” supported the ruling Georgian Dream party and the law.

The recently adopted law requires registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in Georgia as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.