In a move that has sparked Western concerns and triggered weeks of street protests, Georgia's parliament has overridden President Salome Zourabichvili's veto of the controversial "foreign agents" legislation. The legislation, which has been criticized for its potential to curtail media freedom and hinder Georgia's path to joining the European Union, will now be sent back to the president for her endorsement within the next five days.

The bill, which was approved by the Georgian Dream party-controlled parliament earlier this month, requires media organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other nonprofit groups to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.

President Zourabichvili, who has been increasingly at odds with the ruling party, vetoed the bill on May 18, accusing the Georgian Dream party of jeopardizing the country's future and impeding its aspirations of becoming a full member of the free and democratic world.

However, the president's veto was promptly rejected by the parliament in a contentious session that saw an 84-4 vote against it. During the session, a Georgian Dream deputy even doused the leader of an opposition party with water while he was speaking from the rostrum, adding to the ongoing tensions.

The government argues that the bill is necessary to counter what it perceives as harmful foreign actors attempting to destabilize the country. Nevertheless, critics, which include journalists and activists, argue that the true intention behind the legislation is to stigmatize them and impede open dialogue in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections scheduled for October.

Opponents of the bill have labeled it as "the Russian law," pointing out striking similarities to measures implemented by the Kremlin to suppress independent news media, NGOs, and activists. Some believe that Moscow may have played a role in pushing for this legislation in order to hinder Georgia's integration with the West.

This is not the first time such legislation has been introduced in Georgia. Last year, the governing party was compelled to withdraw a similar bill following widespread public protests. However, the renewed efforts to pass the legislation have reignited demonstrations throughout the country, with clashes between protesters and police, who have resorted to using tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds.

The European Union, which granted candidate status to Georgia in December, has repeatedly stated that the bill will serve as a barrier to further integration with the bloc. The EU has emphasized the need for Tbilisi to implement key policy recommendations in order to advance its membership bid.

Meanwhile, the United States has also expressed its concerns about the bill. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently announced that travel sanctions would be imposed on Georgian officials responsible for undermining democracy in the country. The US hopes that Georgia's leaders will reconsider the draft law and take steps towards fulfilling the nation's democratic aspirations.

The opposition United National Movement has strongly denounced the bill as part of Georgian Dream's efforts to bring the country under Russia's influence. However, the ruling party has vehemently denied these allegations. Georgian Dream was founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and billionaire who accumulated his fortune in Russia.

The anti-bill demonstrations have continued for weeks, with tens of thousands of protesters gathering in the evenings, making them some of the largest protests witnessed in Georgia since gaining independence from Moscow in 1991. The future of media freedom and Georgia's European aspirations now hangs in the balance as the bill awaits the president's endorsement.