EU says Orbán does not represent bloc in Georgia – DW – 29/10/2024

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban flew to Tbilisi on Monday to greet the pro-Russian ruling Georgian Dream party as tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest what the opposition called unfair elections over the weekend.

In a report published on Sunday, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe also referred to a large-scale campaign intimidation of voters. On Tuesday, the government announced a partial recount of votes.

As Hungary holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, some member state governments were concerned that Orbán’s visit could be seen as an official EU position at a time when President Salome Zurabishvili called on international allies to “protect Georgia by standing with the people and not with an illegitimate government “, she wrote on Twitter on Monday.

EU officials have called for an investigation into reports of irregularities during Saturday’s election, and several member states have officially distanced themselves from Orbán’s visit.

“Authoritarian, anti-democratic, pro-Russian”

During his visit, Orbán met with GD, which hinted that joining the European Union would require Georgia to enter the Russian-Ukrainian war.

“One thing is clear about this weekend’s election: the people of Georgia voted for peace and prosperity in a free and democratic election,” Orbán wrote on Tuesday on X.

In GD and its leaders, Orbán can also see his fellow defenders of national conservatism in greater Europe.

“Viktor Orbán is clear that he wants more authoritarian, anti-democratic, pro-Russian players in the European political sphere,” said Julien Hoez, editor of The French Dispatch and geopolitical consultant.

Teona Lavrelashvili, who specializes in EU affairs as a visiting fellow at the Wilfrid Martens Center for European Studies, told DW that Orbán’s visit to Georgia is a direct challenge to EU foreign policy and sends mixed signals, just like his visit to Moscow. at the beginning of Hungary’s presidency in the Council in July.

“Although Orban does not officially represent the EU, his support for the election risks legitimizing the process, which Georgia’s ruling party will likely use to counter calls for new elections or an independent investigation,” Lavrelashvili said. “They can refer to Hungary.” , an EU member state, as a supporter of the elections.”

EU position

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called for a quick, transparent and independent investigation into the violations and said that the people of Georgia have a “right to know what happened.” But it remains unclear how the European Union will be able to compel non-member Georgia’s government to look into election irregularities, and whether officials will pursue an investigation that could ultimately incriminate themselves.

Hoez said he believed the European Union could prepare a single draft condemnation at an upcoming meeting. “There is an informal council on Nov. 8 in Budapest that could lead to something, and a foreign affairs council on Nov. 18 that will probably build on that,” Hoez said. flagrant falsification of elections”.

.

EU officials may await a response from the Georgian government and final recommendations from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

“At this stage, this cautious approach does not necessarily mean that the EU does not recognize the election results, but it reflects the need for further clarification regarding the reported violations,” Lavrelashvili said.

“The EU is waiting for two key indicators: firstly, the final recommendations of the OSCE election mission, and secondly, the response of the ruling party — in particular, whether it recognizes the EU’s calls and acts on them,” she said. “At this stage, the EU would rather apply diplomatic pressure than impose sanctions.”

Edited by: M. Gagnon