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Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will hold official talks in Tbilisi today, October 28, at the invitation of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, after the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD) party, which has ruled the country for 12 years, won a landslide victory in Georgia’s parliamentary elections, Index reports.
Index cites the Georgian portal Publika that the Georgian Government will hold an official welcoming ceremony on Tuesday. The Hungarian Government delegation consisting of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, Minister for National Economy Márton Nagy, and Minister of Finance Mihály Varga will be received by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
The Hungarian Prime Minister’s trip is of particular relevance as on October 26, Georgia held parliamentary elections, which the ruling Georgian Dream party won by a landslide. Although the results were not known until Sunday morning, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on X on Saturday evening.
Congratulations to Prime Minister @PM_Kobakhidze and the Georgian Dream party on their overwhelming victory at the parliamentary elections today. The people of #Georgia know what is best for their country, and made their voice heard today!
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) October 26, 2024
Following Viktor Orbán’s congratulations, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, wrote in a Facebook post:
The attempts to intervene have been futile, but the Georgian people have made it clear what they want. The patriotic, pro-family ruling party won the election by a landslide. Bravo, congratulations!”
The Minister added in his speech that Hungary would continue to support Georgia’s successful European integration during the remainder of its EU presidency and beyond.
The result of the Georgian parliamentary elections was shrouded in uncertainty after two different exit polls gave contradictory predictions. One poll predicted a comfortable victory for the ruling party, while the other predicted a majority for the opposition. The opposition declared after the elections that it would not accept the election results.
During the campaign period, the ruling Georgian Dream Party was frequently attacked from the West for its anti-LGBTQ propaganda and pro-sovereignty reforms.
However, the foreign pressure failed as Georgians gave the conservative, pro-peace government a near two-thirds mandate.
In response to a question from Magyar Nemzet, Dr. Péter Pál Kránitz, senior researcher at the Hungarian Institute of Foreign Affairs, said that Georgians had essentially voted for stability. “The main promise of the ruling party in this election was that their country would stay out of the war. We must not forget that one fifth of Georgian territory is under Russian occupation and that the statements of the pro-European opposition were often not in the service of peaceful dialogue, but threatened to escalate the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” he explained.
The Georgian Dream, on the other hand, focused on pragmatic relations with Russia and offered a stable and developing economic policy, to which the Georgians said yes,”
he added.
The expert noted that the Georgian ruling party was forced to campaign against an “unprecedented western headwind.” The West has pounced on the Georgian Dream for passing legislation to protect the country’s sovereignty and traditional family values, he said.
Via Index, Magyar Nemzet; Featured image: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Benko Vivien Cher