Georgia’s European dream was shattered by Georgian Dream, the pro-Russian party which, by claiming to have won the legislative elections of October 26 with 54.08% of the votes, calls into question Georgia’s planned accession to the European Union. Whatever the results of the investigation, requested by the European Union and the United States, into the extent of fraud, ballot stuffing and beatings of opponents already widely observed, Vladimir Putin emerges victorious from this election in knives drawn, orchestrated by its front man: the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of Georgian Dream and special envoy of the Russian president to break the momentum of Georgia’s accession to the European Union.
The contestation of the election and the demonstration against the result of the vote called by the opposition parties and by President Salomé Zourabichvili, who denounces its “total falsification”, are likely to provoke violence and chaos from which Putin emerges victorious. in all circumstances and which he made an element of reconquest of his lost empire and of war against the West.
Dress rehearsal for the US election
This victory for Moscow does not stop at this small, highly strategic and symbolic Caucasian country, on the eastern borders of the NATO zone. It is part of the life and death battle that is being played out between “the West and the rest” – between the West and the rest, between Western democracies and the countries which oppose them under the aegis of China and Russia. Each event in this vast confrontation is seen as an instrument for measuring the balance of power. The legislative elections in Georgia are part of this, as is the current presidential election in Moldova where a referendum was held at the same time, extremely narrowly won, in favor of membership in the European Union. They also resemble a general, and miniature, rehearsal for the American election.
The spectacle of both camps claiming victory from the first hours of counting the ballots, foreshadows the post-election powder keg in the United States, while candidate Trump announced the color as no leader of the United States had ever done. no democracy: he refuses to commit to recognizing the verdict of the ballot boxes and announces that he will manage his opponents “if necessary by the National Guard or, if really necessary, by the army”, whom he calls “the enemy from within. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who in Europe is an ally of both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, also went to Tbilisi to appear with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the Georgian Dream party, whom he had congratulated X on his “overwhelming victory” even before the first estimates were known. The gesture was seen in Brussels as a provocation, while Mr. Orban holds the rotating presidency of the EU. “He does not represent the European Union,” insisted the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference, the political meeting organized by American conservatives which was held twice, not coincidentally, in Budapest, Mr Kobakhidze called Mr Orbán “a role model”, as Donald Trump himself often did, while the Hungarian leader advocates “illiberal democracy” and disobedience, even war, to the Western order and its institutions.
The ruling party in Georgia also deliberately muddied the waters by asserting on Monday that European integration remained a “priority”. This is once again following a tactic specific to Viktor Orbán, an avowed Europhobe who is working to undermine the European Union from within while taking advantage of its advantages.
Trophy for Putin
For Vladimir Putin, Georgia is a prize of first choice. Not only has he never come closer to his goal of creating a new vassal state, as he did with Belarus, but he is doing so with a country on the path to EU membership, all sending a message to Ukraine’s allies. Georgian Dream endorsed Kremlin rhetoric that a Western “world war party” was trying to bring the Georgian opposition to power in order to drag the country into war against Russia. Its advertising campaign juxtaposed images of war-torn Ukraine and prosperous Georgia. On the posters, this fallacious message touches souls: “No war, choose peace”.
* Marion van Renterghem is a senior reporter, winner of the Albert-Londres prize and author of Nord Stream Trap (Arenas)
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