In Georgia, the ruling party has dropped a controversial “foreign agent” bill following two nights of violent clashes between police and protesters. But despite the U-turn, thousands continue to rally in the capital Tblisi. They fear the government wants to put Georgia on a path towards authoritarianism – and away from its goal of joining the European Union.

The draft echoed a Russian law used to silence critics – and protesters vow to resist what they call government attempts to drag the country back under the Kremlin’s influence. DW Correspondent Maria Katamadze is in Tbilisi.

Georgia formally applied for EU membership less than two weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Viola von Cramon in Brussels, is a member of the European Parliament for the German Green Party and brings in the European perspective.