Orbán's Controversial Visit to Georgia: Amid Electoral Concerns and EU Tensions
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's recent trip to Georgia has sparked controversy as he congratulated the ruling Georgian Dream party for its overwhelming victory in the parliamentary elections. This visit comes despite widespread allegations of voter intimidation and coercion. Orbán is set to lead a delegation of senior ministers to meet with Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in a two-day visit that some believe may irritate fellow EU leaders, especially since Hungary currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.
Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, made it clear that Orbán does not represent the European Union during this visit. He emphasized in a statement that the rotating president has no authority in foreign policy, a sentiment directed towards the Hungarian leader following his premature congratulations to the Georgian Dream party before official election results had been made public.
Concerns regarding the legitimacy of the elections were echoed in a joint statement by Borrell and the European Commission, which called for a thorough investigation into reported electoral irregularities, including voter harassment and intimidation. The organization emphasized the responsibility of the Central Election Commission of Georgia to address these serious allegations.
As Orbán's delegation arrives in Tbilisi, opposition groups in Georgia have announced plans for protests in response to the election outcomes, which they view as a hindrance to their aspirations for European Union membership. President Salome Zourabichvili, who is pro-EU, has publicly declared that she does not recognize the election results and has suggested that Georgia has been a victim of a Russian special operation.
Observers from the European Parliament confirmed irregularities during the elections, citing incidents of ballot box stuffing, physical assaults on election monitors, and intimidation of voters, which have raised alarms about the state of democracy in Georgia. The head of the observing delegation, Spanish centrist MEP Antonio López-Istúriz White, voiced his deep concern over the situation and called attention to abuses such as coercion of state employees to attend campaign events and vote in favor of the ruling party.
Dutch MEP Thijs Reuten, who was not part of the observer team, urged other EU member states to oppose Orbán's endorsement of the Georgian elections, insisting that doing so undermines the EU's credibility. He called for action, stating that it's crucial to remove Orbán's EU voting rights, particularly given Hungary's previous sanctions procedure initiated in 2018, which has since stalled.
Amid these tensions, Orbán's spokesperson claimed that the Hungarian prime minister was invited by Kobakhidze and would be joined by Hungary's foreign, economy, and finance ministers. His visit has been compared to previous controversial trips during the summer, where he engaged in diplomacy across various global capitals.
The situation poses a significant challenge for the European Union, especially with an upcoming summit in Budapest, where discussions will focus on the single market. Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, announced that Georgia will be on the agenda for these discussions, reiterating the need for the Georgian leadership to uphold its commitment to EU integration. The unfolding drama presents a complicated narrative of Eastern European politics and the balancing act that both Hungary and Georgia must navigate as they confront pressures both from within and beyond their borders.
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