In Georgia, a fight breaks out in Parliament during the examination of a controversial law

They came to blows in the middle of the hemicycle. In Georgia, a fight broke out on Monday April 15 between deputies in Parliament. The latter were debating the reintroduction of the controversial bill on “foreign agents”, the cause of large-scale demonstrations in 2023 and considered liberticidal by its detractors. Footage from the parliamentary session shows an opposition MP punching the head of a ruling party lawmaker who co-drafted the bill. A blow which caused a general fight and the interruption of the live broadcast.

The ruling party in this Caucasian country, the Georgian Dream, announced in early April the return of this bill. Its first version was abandoned after protests bringing together tens of thousands of people in Tbilisi in March 2023 to denounce a text inspired by Russian legislation targeting critics of power.

On Monday morning, several dozen demonstrators gathered in front of Parliament and unfurled a large flag of the European Union, which Georgia wishes to join. The country has the ambition to deepen its relations with the West, but the ruling party is accused of wanting, on the contrary, to bring this former Soviet republic closer to Russia. The return of this bill, criticized by Brussels, risks reviving deep divisions. A large rally is planned for Monday evening against this text. Last week, around 8,000 people had already demonstrated in Tbilisi.