Episode 131: Georgia’s foreign agent law sparks reaction

<i>Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: <a href="https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj</a> </i><br /><br />In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam and Agnieszka start out with a discussion on the state of Russian influence in the region with a focus on Georgia and Moldova. Later, Agnieszka provides a brief rundown of the recent Estonian elections.<br /><br />For the main interview, Adam is joined by <b>Grigol Julukhidze</b> - the director of the Foreign Policy Council, a think tank in Tbilisi. He specialises in security studies and propaganda research and is also a lecturer at Ilia State University. Adam and Grigol dissect the recent events surrounding the introduction (and later withdrawal) of the so-called foreign agent law in Georgia and what the consequences are for the country.<br /><br />During the special bonus section available for patrons, Grigol discussion the current state of Mikheil Saakashvili as well as how Georgia has changed with the influx of Russians escaping mobilisation.<br /><br />Listen to the full episode by signing up here: <a href="https://bit.ly/3Fox3Iy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://bit.ly/3Fox3Iy</a><br /><br />For further reading<br /><br />"The European Dream: Georgia’s growing anti-European rhetoric undermines its pro-western aspirations" by Giorgi Beroshvili, <i>New Eastern Europe, </i>10 March 2023: <a href="https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/03/10/the-european-dream-georgias-growing-anti-european-rhetoric-undermines-its-pro-western-aspirations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/03/10/the-european-dream-georgias-growing-anti-european-rhetoric-undermines-its-pro-western-aspirations/</a><br /><br />“Russian soft power in Georgia: “People’s Power” and the “foreign agent” media law” by Davit Totadze, <i>New Eastern Europe</i> 3 March 2023: <a href="https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/03/03/russian-soft-power-in-georgia-peoples-power-and-the-foreign