Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, has defended recently adopted amendments to Georgia’s Organic Law On Political Unions of Citizens, stating that the legislation is intended to increase transparency around the flow of foreign funds into the country.

The amendments, passed in their third reading by the Georgian Parliament, were introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party and have sparked criticism both domestically and internationally.

“Our goal is to make transparent the money that illegally flows into Georgia. This was the main purpose of the laws we adopted,” Makhashvili said.

He pushed back against international criticism, particularly from EU institutions, saying, “We cannot accept criticism from those who not only fail to solve this problem but are themselves the source of it. When we talk about bureaucracy, no matter what we do, we cannot outperform Brussels in that area.”

Makhashvili also argued that the legal changes are not meant to restrict legitimate funding, but to ensure that incoming funds are used for the benefit of society rather than for inciting unrest.

“Applying to the government will guarantee that funds entering Georgia are not used for throwing Molotov cocktails, but rather for what society needs,” he added.