Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili has reportedly refused to sign off on an anti-LGBTQ+ bill that is reminiscent of measures adopted in neighbouring Russia.

Passed in Parliament on September 17 with 84 out of 150 votes in favour, the bill includes bans on same-sex marriage, adoption by same-sex couples, gender-affirming care and depictions of LGBTQ+ identities in the media. It also provides a legal basis for authorities to outlaw Pride events and displays of the rainbow flag.

The anti-LGBTQ+ bill was introduced by the ruling party Georgian Dream earlier this year ahead of October’s elections, where the party is seeking a fourth term in office. Activists have stated that the proposed legislation aims to boost their conservative support.

The ruling party’s election campaign has heavily focused on cracking down on LGBTQ+ rights in a supposed effort to protect “traditional values”, a strategy reminiscent of the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric employed by the Kremlin. In recent months, Georgian Dream has deepened its ties with the Kremlin, also passing an anti-NGO law on “foreign agents” earlier this year, which triggered mass anti-government protests around the country.

To become law, the anti-LGBTQ+ bill needs to be signed by the President of Georgia, who has been a vocal critic of Georgian Dream and has a pro-EU stance. As reported on Wednesday, October 2, President Zourabichvili has declined to sign the bill.

“The president did not sign the bill into law. Nor did she veto the measure. She just refused to sign the bill and returned it to parliament. Our laws provide for such a procedure,” a presidential administration official told TASS.

However, the ruling party and its allies have enough seats in Parliament to override her, and the President’s powers are mostly ceremonial. It is thus expected that the bill will be signed into law by parliament’s speaker and its co-sponsor Shalva Papuashvili.

Georgia is currently a candidate for EU membership, but Brussels has repeatedly warned the nation that such legislation demonstrates a lack of commitment to its stated ambition of joining the Union. Commenting on the anti-LGBTQ+ bill last month, the EU stated that it “undermines fundamental rights of Georgians and risks further stigmatisation and discrimination of part of the population”.

The statement added that adopting such measures would have “important repercussions” on Georgia’s European integration path and “place further strain on EU-Georgia relations.”