(Bloomberg) — Hungarian premier Viktor Orban is planning a trip to Georgia as early as this coming Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, following an election with high geopolitical stakes for the Caucasus republic.
The ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in the vote, which opponents said was rigged. International observers also highlighted several shortcomings.
Orban, who holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, was quick to congratulate Georgian Dream on the social media platform X. According to a community note attached to the message, votes had not been counted and results weren’t available at the time of the post.
Visits by Hungary’s prime minister earlier this year to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and former US President Donald Trump have angered leaders in the EU, who sought to underscore that he wasn’t representing the bloc in talks over issues including the war in Ukraine.
The Georgian prime minister’s press officer, Misha Peikrishvili, confirmed that the Hungarian premier is scheduled to arrive in Tbilisi on Monday. It later stated in an email that an official welcoming ceremony will be held for Orban on Oct. 29, followed by private meetings and a press conference. Orban will be accompanied by a Hungarian government delegation including Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, the email said.
The Hungarian government didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
Russia and the West have tussled over Georgia for over two decades. The outcome of this weekend’s vote may decide whether the nation of nearly four million people continues efforts to integrate with the West or pivots back toward Moscow.
Georgian Dream, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, received about 54% of the votes, the election commission said after counting more than 99% of the total votes. The party’s four main rivals, which have pledged to support a charter drawn up by President Salome Zourabichvili to pass pro-EU reforms, all crossed the threshold to qualify for parliament and jointly hold about 37% of the vote share.
The opposition parties said early Sunday they do not accept the results and called for protests.
Exit polls on Saturday showed contrasting results, with the pro-government broadcaster Imedi TV claiming that Georgian Dream was set to extend its 12 years in power, while Mtavari TV reported that the opposition had the mandates needed for a majority.
–With assistance from Veronika Gulyas.
(Updates in fifth paragraph with more details on visit)
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