Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s recent visit to Hungary, by personal invitation of his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán, underlines growing cooperation between Tbilisi and Budapest, as the European Union accuses the Georgian Dream government of suppressing democratic protests and violating human rights. Orbán has demonstrated growing support for Georgian Dream and even flew to Tbilisi after the October 2024 parliamentary elections to congratulate the ruling party personally. Opposition parties and former President Salome Zourabichvili stand by their assessment of the elections as “totally rigged.”. Beyond vetoing tougher EU sanctions on Georgian Dream officials, Orbán is using a shared affinity with Georgian Dream for authoritarian tendencies to justify both governments’ Russia-style policies and to put more pressure on Brussels for Georgia’s EU membership.
Hungary Becomes Main Lobbyist for Georgian Dream Government in Europe – Jamestown
