#Georgia : The hearing phase in the permanent parliamentary committee has ended. The foreign agents law will be debated in this week's plenary session. Excluding the opposition & NGOs from the debate further discredits the bill, making it toxic for current political cohabitation.

#Teaching : The 3rd lesson of my course on Russian hybrid warfare is over. Today we unpacked the hard & soft powers, and to what extent these powers can be attributed to the EU, China & Russia. My students also brainstormed about how these powers can serve as hybrid warfare.

#EU_Enlargement : Since joining the EU in 2004, Poland has obtained €245.5B from the EU and paid 83.7% in membership fees. Thus, in 20 years, the EU allocated €161.6B to Poland. Furthermore, thanks to investments in the economy and infrastructure, Poland attracted €293B in FDI.

#Teaching : The 3rd lesson of my course on Russian hybrid warfare is over. Today we unpacked the hard & soft powers, and to what extent these powers can be attributed to the EU, China & Russia. My students also brainstormed about how these powers can serve as hybrid warfare.

#Georgia : As the Georgian govt announces that Georgians will travel without visa to China from May 29 this year, the Georgian opposition expresses concern about the negative implications that the foreign agents bill may have on the visa liberalization with the EU.

#Russia : Operating in Russia at a time when others are divesting is increasing revenue for both Western banks & the Russian budget. Thus, European banks paid €800 million in taxes in 2023, half of which the Austrian Raiffeisen. The ECB urged the latter to withdraw from Russia.

#Georgia : As the Georgian govt announces that Georgians will travel without visa to China from May 29 this year, the Georgian opposition expresses concern about the negative implications that the foreign agents bill may have on the visa liberalization with the EU.

#Georgia : On Monday (April 29), it is expected the second and final reading of the foreign agents law. To illustrate a certain degree of legitimacy, the govt will organize a pro-bill rally, while protests led by civil society will advocate against it (calling it “Russian law”).⤵️

#Russia : Germany opposes the confiscation of Russian assets (€300 billion), invoking the risk of creating risky legal precedents. The German argument is that once Russian assets are seized, WW2 reparations demands towards Berlin could be (re)activated.