Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said today that the victory in the elections in Georgia, achieved by the right-wing party "Georgian Dream", was free and democratic, despite large protests by the opposition, which considers the elections rigged.
Orban, the main ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin within the European Union, is the first foreign leader to visit Georgia since the elections held last Saturday.
The president of Georgia and the opposition claim that the election was stolen with the help of Russia, and the EU and the US have called for a full investigation into the irregularities.
However, Orban gave a different view after meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobahidze, congratulating him on his victory.
"I look at the debate that broke out around the elections, I read the evaluations of international organizations and I see that no one dares to question that these elections were free and democratic," said Orban.
People gathered outside parliament on Monday night, demanding new elections under international supervision and an investigation into alleged vote-rigging.
The protest increased tensions in the country, where the ruling Georgian Dream party has become authoritarian and is increasingly turning to Moscow.
Orban was booed after arriving at a hotel in Tbilisi on Monday evening.
Demonstrators called him "political prostitute" and "puppet" in Russian and Hungarian.
Kobahidze said that Orban's visit had special significance because it is taking place during Hungary's presidency of the Council of the European Union, although the EU has said that he is not representing the Union during that visit.
Georgian Dream has told voters it is committed to joining the EU despite the fact that Brussels suspended Georgia's membership process after the party's votes in parliament in June passed a Russian-style "foreign influence law" that critics say significantly restricts press freedom.
The aspiration for EU and NATO membership is enshrined in the Georgian constitution, and many residents considered this election a key referendum on the possibility of joining the European Union.
Georgian Dream, founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, has adopted laws similar to those used by Moscow to crack down on free speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
The party has campaigned for joining Europe "with dignity", a principle Kobahidze referred to today when he suggested that Georgia and Hungary share Christian values, alluding to similar laws passed in Hungary.
Orban said that it is clear that "both the opposition and the ruling party are committed to European integration", rejecting the opposition's claims that the Georgian Dream party opposes it.
"Even though you have a pro-European policy, you have not allowed your country to become another Ukraine," Orban said, urging Kobahidze to ignore all criticism of the election.
Orban's comments appeared to echo the rhetoric of the Georgian Dream campaign, which accused the opposition of trying to destabilize the country and hinted that Ukraine's fate could befall Georgia.
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