TBILISI, June 2. /TASS/. European bureaucrats unhappy with the current Georgian government want to replace it with their own proxies in the opposition, Kakha Kaladze, secretary general of the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party, told reporters.

"In recent years, there have been several attempts to orchestrate a coup and overthrow the government. These efforts were all financed from abroad. They [the opposition] did and still do have their patrons who want to change the leadership in Georgia, because the country has a patriotic government that defends the interests of the people. And that is precisely what they cannot stand," Kaladze said.

The Georgian politician also responded to negative comments from European bureaucrats about the law on foreign agents, which came into force in Georgia on May 31. "They say that our transparency law is flawed and undemocratic, but at the same time, they are discussing the adoption of a similar bill in Brussels," Kaladze added.

The parliament passed the new law in its third and final reading on April 1. Unlike the Law On Transparency of Foreign Influence, approved last year amid mass protests, the Georgian equivalent of the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) provides for imprisonment of up to five years and applies to both organizations and individuals. The law took effect 60 days after its publication on the Legislative Gazette portal.

The new act was initiated by representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party who pointed out that the law adopted last year was not adequately enforced. The law is intended to step up the effort to tackle foreign-funded organizations which are trying to destabilize the country. The Georgian authorities have repeatedly said there have been attempts at revolutions, which were heavily influenced by foreign-funded non-governmental organizations.