The Georgian president, Salome Zourabichvili, has warned of a "Russian special operation" to sway the vote, as public outrage mounted in the form of large protests against the election outcome. The Georgian Dream government is accused of orchestrating a return to Russian influence, and both the president and opposition parties insist the vote was "stolen." Orban's remarks suggested that the condemnation of the election results was politically motivated, as he differentiated between reactions based on the winning party's ideology. Despite the criticism, Orban's presence in Georgia coincided with many citizens voicing dissatisfaction through demonstrations.
Orban's endorsement received backlash from various EU officials, emphasizing that he did not represent the collective views of the 27 member states. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto was similarly dismissive of the criticism, even as independent monitors documented a litany of violations ranging from coercion to systematic ballot-stuffing on election day. Allegations included carousel voting, where individuals could vote multiple times, and misuse of identification documents.
While the Georgian election commission has defended the integrity of the electoral process, it has also faced extensive scrutiny from NGOs and watchdog groups. Allegations of a dominant ruling party influencing the electoral commission paint a grim picture of democratic practices in Georgia. As calls for electoral investigations grow louder, the situation remains tense, with accusations of state capture by the ruling party complicating Georgia's pro-Western aspirations.
Orban's endorsement received backlash from various EU officials, emphasizing that he did not represent the collective views of the 27 member states. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto was similarly dismissive of the criticism, even as independent monitors documented a litany of violations ranging from coercion to systematic ballot-stuffing on election day. Allegations included carousel voting, where individuals could vote multiple times, and misuse of identification documents.
While the Georgian election commission has defended the integrity of the electoral process, it has also faced extensive scrutiny from NGOs and watchdog groups. Allegations of a dominant ruling party influencing the electoral commission paint a grim picture of democratic practices in Georgia. As calls for electoral investigations grow louder, the situation remains tense, with accusations of state capture by the ruling party complicating Georgia's pro-Western aspirations.
