Tensions are high in Georgia, where tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the square in front of the Parliament in Tbilisi, waving national, European Union and Ukrainian flags. The mobilization was called by the pro-European opposition led by President Salome Zourabichvili, who is contesting the electoral victory of the ruling Georgian Dream party, which they say was “stolen” and accused of having ties to Moscow. Meanwhile, conflict has emerged within the European Union, with Russia accused of trying to influence the elections. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Tbilisi for two days, congratulating the ruling party on its “overwhelming victory”.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that the elections were not won by the Brussels favorites or the liberal mainstream, but by the sovereign ruling party that emphasizes national interests. However, this position has sparked criticism regarding the fairness of the elections and effective democracy in Georgia. Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, said that Orban “does not represent” the European Union during his visit as he has no mandate from the EU Council. Zourabichvili also confirmed that Orban came as a supporter of the current government and does not intend to meet her.
In an interview with France24, Zourabichvili accused Georgian Dream of planning a plan to alter the election results in support of Moscow. Responding to the evidence for his claims, he acknowledged that fully proving such a situation is complicated but stressed the importance of popular demonstrations as evidence of people’s sentiment against the manipulation of the country’s future.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, called for a swift investigation into the irregularities reported by international observers. The European Affairs ministers of 13 member states called Orban’s visit premature and also called for an impartial review. Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, also denounced malpractices in the Georgian elections.
On the other hand, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the Russian accusations as unfounded attempts at destabilization and shifted the blame to European states involved in the electoral process. Meanwhile, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze denied any preference for Moscow over the EU and reiterated Georgia’s intention to integrate into the European Union by 2030.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze reiterated that Georgia’s integration into the European Union is “the priority” for the government in Tbilisi, despite harsh criticism from the opposition, which accuses the ruling party of showing authoritarian tendencies and being too close to Russia.
Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party has been accused by its opponents of having ties to Russia and recently triumphed in elections against pro-EU opposition parties.