Barely a few weeks after the ominous ‘debate’ on the Hungarian EU Presidency in Strasbourg at the beginning of October, tensions between the European Union and Hungary have flared once again, this time in response to Viktor Orbán’s visit to Georgia. Elections were held in the South Caucasus country over the weekend, resulting in a victory for the pro-sovereignty—yet still pro-European—Georgian Dream governing party, rather than the forces favoured by Brussels.
As is often the case—something we are well aware of from Hungary’s experience—the EU immediately questioned the legitimacy of the elections, citing concerns over Russian interference. In typical fashion, the President of the European Commission, once again acting as a political instrument, called for an independent inquiry into the parliamentary elections held in Georgia on Sunday. ‘We need an independent inquiry to investigate the irregularities of the disputed parliamentary elections in Georgia, as Georgians have the right to know what transpired during the election weekend,’ stated Ursula von der Leyen on Monday.
Alongside von der Leyen, the foreign ministers of 13 EU countries condemned the alleged breaches of international rules on Monday, asserting that these violations were ‘incompatible with the expectations of a candidate country for EU membership.’ The list of concerned countries may be familiar: France, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Sweden—nations that also harbour ongoing concerns regarding the state of the rule of law in Hungary.
Georgia Voted for Peace and Sovereignty
In this tense international situation, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has decided to pay an official visit to Georgia. According to an official statement, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has invited his Hungarian counterpart, and the delegation includes Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Economic Development Márton Nagy, and Finance Minister Mihály Varga. ‘One thing is clear about this weekend’s elections: the people of Georgia voted for peace and prosperity in free and democratic elections. We are here to support Georgia’s European integration efforts and to strengthen relations,’ Orbán stated in a post on X after meeting Kobakhidze.
Official visit to #Georgia. One thing is clear about this weekend’s elections: the people of Georgia voted for peace and prosperity in free and democratic elections. We are here to support Georgia’s European integration efforts and to strengthen 🇭🇺🇬🇪 relations.
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) October 29, 2024
Thank you for… pic.twitter.com/JuaW7yZN8A
His visit has, unsurprisingly, attracted considerable criticism of the Hungarian Prime Minister from his EU ‘allies.’ Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has repeatedly emphasized that Orbán does not represent the EU during his visit to Georgia. ‘Whatever Mr Orbán says on his visit to Georgia, he does not represent the European Union. The union’s rotating presidency holds no authority in foreign policy,’ Borrell stated. This sentiment may sound familiar. A similar scenario unfolded during Viktor Orbán’s peace mission in early July, when EU leaders felt it necessary to stress that Orbán did not convey an EU position—despite the fact that numerous Hungarian government officials had already clarified this, just as they are doing now.
The 13 foreign ministers also condemned Orbán’s visit to Georgia, deeming it premature. In this context, Péter Szijjártó responded, highlighting that Hungary has faced similar attacks for the past 14 years. ‘However, our task is not to meet Brussels’ expectations, but to fulfil the will of the people. This also applies to the Georgian government, with which we will continue to work closely in the future to develop our relations and accelerate European integration,’ Szijjártó stated.
Familiar Tactics
Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December 2023, a decision largely influenced by the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the initiation of Kyiv’s accession process. In this context, it is particularly noteworthy that EU leaders, following Sunday’s elections, are discussing the ‘endangerment of Georgia’s European path.’ This raises questions, especially considering that Ukraine has not held presidential elections, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been issuing decrees, reshaping his government, and eliminating political opponents at will.
Brussels has accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of pro-Russian bias, partly due to the recently adopted Law on the Transparency of Foreign Influence—interestingly, similar legislation has been in place in the United States for nearly a century. This Georgian law mandates that organisations and NGOs receiving at least 20 per cent of their funding from foreign sources must register as ‘agents of foreign influence.’ Failure to comply may result in a fine of up to GEL 25,000 (approximately €7,500). Under this legislation, the Georgian Ministry of Justice is empowered to monitor these organisations and request various forms of ‘sensitive information.’
Critics in Brussels argue that the ruling party in Georgia is using the law to intimidate its political opponents and has adopted a path similar to that of Moscow, which has had a comparable law in place since 2012. However, Balázs Orbán, the political director of the Hungarian Prime Minister, stated at the time: ‘Our intention is not to veto Georgia’s Law on the Transparency of Foreign Influence, but to encourage the introduction of similar laws across the EU!’ He added that protecting a country’s sovereignty from unwanted foreign interference is not a threat but rather a prerequisite for democracy.
From Hungary’s experience, we already know that Brussels disapproves of attempts to defend the sovereignty of individual Member States, and the same applies to candidate countries. The tactics employed in Brussels are familiar: states that diverge from the EU line are accused of being pro-Russian, as well as of corruption and fraud. It is no surprise, then, that the EU has become considerably less attractive to candidate countries than it was just a few years or even a decade ago. However, stalling the enlargement process poses a greater danger to the EU than to the candidate countries, as it undermines the EU’s own security in terms of physical safety, energy stability, and competitiveness. ‘Georgia is a conservative, Christian, and pro-European state. Instead of pointless lecturing, they need our support on their European path,’ Viktor Orbán highlighted during his visit.
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