On June 19, 2024, the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA) held a roundtable discussion titled “National Sovereignty vs. Foreign Influence,” focusing on the transparency and democratic accountability of civil society in different countries around the world. The discussion compared regulations in Georgia, the EU, the United States, and other countries, moderated by Tamás Baranyi, with participants Rodrigo Ballester, Petra Halkó, and Péter Pál Kránitz.
“Political activism is fine and necessary,” Ballester remarked, “as long as it is transparent. The same transparency should be expected from civil society as well.”
Halkó added, “The privatization and reorganization of political decision-making is the crisis of democracy. This is the core issue.”
Finally, speaking about Georgia, Kránitz noted, “Transparency is a key democratic value, and this motivates the Georgian approach.”