Orban's visit to Georgia sparks tension amid election unrest
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili stated that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's planned visit to Tbilisi on Monday and Tuesday aims to exert a psychological impact on Georgian society. In her opinion, Orban does not represent the European Union and only comes as a friend of the ruling party.
President Zurabishvili, quoted by Echo of the Caucasus (a branch of Radio Free Europe), expressed her belief that the Hungarian Prime Minister "does not have a mandate from the European Union." She noted, "If he comes, it will only be as a friend of the current ruling majority, and it will be a new attempt to make a psychological impression on society. But we are resistant to that," she emphasized.
Zurabishvili stated that Saturday's parliamentary elections had been "stolen." She added, "The Georgian people will confirm this in the streets," referring to the planned protests against the results presented by the Central Election Commission.
Viktor Orban's visit to Tbilisi will begin Monday at 6:00 PM ET. On Tuesday, official meetings with Georgian authorities are planned, after which the prime ministers of both countries will make statements to the media.
On Saturday, even before the official election results were announced, Orban was the first to congratulate the ruling pro-Russian party Georgian Dream on their victory. Meanwhile, the opposition and the president do not recognize the results reported by the election commission, and international observers report numerous irregularities during voting.
The NewsGeorgia service notes that Georgian Dream considers Viktor Orban one of its main allies in Europe. According to the portal, the Hungarian Prime Minister will travel to Tbilisi to "personally congratulate" the group.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated on Monday that during his visit to Georgia, Viktor Orban does not represent the European Union. He noted, "Hungary holds the presidency of the EU Council, but Prime Minister Orban does not have competencies in foreign policy on behalf of the Community."
Elections in Georgia. The result raises controversy
The pro-Russian party Georgian Dream won 53.92% of the votes in the parliamentary elections.
Zurabishvili did not recognize this result, like the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, among others. Both have called on their compatriots to protest.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated, "it seems that the elections were not fully democratic". He added, "Let international observers speak, but I am very concerned about this situation because these elections were perhaps a crucial day of choice regarding Georgia's orientation."
