Congratulations from Orban to the ruling party that won the election in Georgia

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Georgia and congratulated the ruling party Georgian Dream, which has been criticized for being pro-Russian, on its election victory. Orban stated, “I want to congratulate the Georgian government for not allowing Georgia to become a second Ukraine.”

Orban is in Georgia for talks following the parliamentary elections held on October 26, which are seen as a “choice between Europe and Russia” and where discussions are ongoing. Meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Orban later appeared before the cameras for a joint press conference. In his speech, Orban advised the Georgian government not to take the discussions about the elections within the European Union too seriously, stating, “According to the EU’s guidelines, elections are democratic when liberals win and not when conservatives win.” Congratulating the Kobakhidze government, which the Georgian opposition accused of election fraud, Orban said, “We know what war means and how important peace is. Hungary is a peace-loving European country. We value your efforts because you are also on the side of peace.” Stating that the discussions regarding the election results in the European Union are deemed “premature” and criticized, Orban remarked, “No one wants their country to be destroyed and to become involved in war. Therefore, we understand the choice of the Georgian people in favor of freedom. I want to congratulate the Georgian government for applying pro-European policies and not allowing Georgia to become a second Ukraine. We place great importance on the Prime Minister’s commitment to this idea. I am confident that Georgia will be suitable for EU membership by the end of this decade.” Stating that the elections in Georgia were conducted freely and democratically, Orban expressed that the claims of the Georgian government opposing EU integration are “nonsense.”

Kobakhidze thanked Orban for his support regarding Georgia’s EU integration.

“The duty is not to fulfill Brussels’ expectations but to fulfill the will of the people”

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who accompanied Orban on his visit to Georgia, said that some countries in the European Union need to understand that elections represent the will of the people. Szijjarto stated, “Hungary has also faced similar external attacks for 14 years. On the other hand, the duty is not to fulfill Brussels’ expectations but to fulfill the will of the people. This is also the case regarding the Georgian government.”

Controversial elections in Georgia

According to the data from the Georgian Central Election Commission, in the elections held on Saturday, October 26, the ruling Georgian Dream Party received 53.93% of the votes, achieving its fourth consecutive victory. Other parties that crossed the 5% threshold to gain representation in parliament included the Coalition for Change in second place with 11.03%, the United National Movement, the party of imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, in third place with 10.1%, Strong Georgia in fourth place with 8.81%, and For Georgia in fifth place with 7.7%.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili stated yesterday, “I do not recognize these elections. It is not possible to recognize these elections. Recognizing this means recognizing Russia’s intervention,” calling on the public to protest. The opposition and President Zurabishvili’s announcement that they do not recognize the election results ignited tensions in the country, as tens of thousands took to the streets in the capital Tbilisi last night, gathering in front of the parliament building to demand new elections.

The ruling Georgian Dream claimed during the election campaign that Western countries were trying to involve Georgia in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Positioning itself as the guarantor of peace in Georgia, the ruling party argued that the opposition parties were puppets of those wanting a global war. The Georgian opposition characterized the election as “a choice between Europe and Russia,” while the government described it as “a matter of peace or war.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, whose observers reported that the elections were “positive in every respect,” was the first foreign leader to congratulate the Georgian government after the elections.

EU: “Premature visit”

Thirteen countries of the European Union issued a joint statement yesterday regarding the parliamentary elections in Georgia and Orban’s visit. The statement read, “The violation of electoral integrity is not in line with the standards expected from a candidate country for EU membership and constitutes a violation of the legitimate European orientation of the Georgian people. The protection of the rule of law and the conduct of free and fair elections are integral parts of any progress Georgia makes on the path to the EU. We criticize Hungarian Prime Minister Orban’s premature visit to Georgia; he does not speak on behalf of the EU.”

Orban’s controversial visits

Hungarian Prime Minister Orban initiated a peace mission for Ukraine after Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on July 1. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on July 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on July 5, and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on July 8. EU leaders stated that Orban did not have authorization from Brussels for his visit to Moscow and did not represent the EU. The EU also revoked Hungary’s right to host the informal meeting of foreign and defense ministers in August due to Orban’s visit to Russia, moving the meetings to Brussels.