Papuashvili Calls for International Standard on Foreign Funding

Georgian Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili believes the time has come to create an international standard for transparency and regulation of foreign interference and funding. He said so in Rome, speaking at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments of the Council of Europe.

According to Papuashvili, democratic resilience begins with one simple truth: a democracy that is not accountable to its own citizens or does not act in line with its national interests is already in a weak position before any threat emerges.

In his assessment, covert foreign funding deserves special attention, because it is often the least visible and most damaging tool for undermining democracy and sovereignty. The parliament chairman stated that ensuring transparency of foreign funding is not a departure from democratic values but, on the contrary, a means of protecting them.

Papuashvili noted that when external actors finance specific domestic political forces, they deepen existing divisions and turn ordinary political debate into a tool for promoting their preferred vision and deepening political polarization.

"Hybrid threats, including disinformation, cyberattacks, covert funding and foreign interference, rarely operate in isolation. They reinforce one another; their target is the credibility of our democratic institutions and decisions," he said.

According to him, among these instruments, foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) is the most widespread and has the most serious consequences. It usually takes the form of coordinated disinformation campaigns, which become especially active during elections or periods of political instability.

According to Papuashvili, two years ago in Georgia, despite the existence of the most modern technical defense mechanisms for elections, disinformation and false allegations of electoral violations deepened polarization and contributed to turmoil around the election issue. In his words, some groups funded from abroad sought to undermine public trust in the fairness and legitimacy of the electoral process.

The parliament chairman noted that a growing number of states, including those that once criticized such legislation elsewhere, are now themselves confronting these risks. According to him, Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and many other countries are tightening legislation regulating transparency and foreign funding.

"The principle is this: a government accountable to the people should have information about the money and influence that enter the country's political space," Papuashvili said.

According to him, interference is rarely one-sided. "Many states that condemn the breakdown of international order simultaneously try to influence the internal affairs of other countries. National parliaments should not face this challenge in isolation," he said, adding that the recent activities of the Council of Europe, including its resolution on foreign interference and ongoing discussions on protecting democracy and elections, already provide a good foundation.

In Papuashvili's assessment, foreign interference is dangerous for sovereignty and democracy, regardless of whether it is carried out by a hostile or non-hostile actor. "Foreign interference is in itself a hostile act, because its aim is to restrict the freedom of the people and democracy. Consequently, it remains a hostile act whether it comes from an enemy or a friend," he said.

According to him, the only way out of this enchanted circle is to develop a common international standard. Such a standard should be based on sovereignty, accountability and consensus.

"Only resilient and accountable democracies that act under common rules will be able to deal properly with hybrid threats," said Shalva Papuashvili.