Mr Kobakhidze, meanwhile, said he expected a reset with Brussels. He added: “Our main foreign policy priority is, naturally, European integration. Everything will be done to achieve Georgia’s full integration into the EU by 2030.”

Mr Orban, a high-profile outlier among EU leaders for his opposition to Western sanctions on Moscow, congratulated Georgian Dream on its “overwhelming victory” on social media before the final result was known.

Mr Orban, who has regularly clashed with Brussels on migration and sovereignty issues, said: “The people of Georgia know what is best for their country, and made their voice heard today!” 

Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s pro-Western president, blamed the result on a “special Russian operation”, a reference to Putin’s term for his illegal invasion of Ukraine, and called for protests on Monday night.

Comments are closed.