There is something disturbing to see, on the one hand, these tens of thousands of Georgians denouncing “stolen” legislative elections on October 29 on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi and, on the other, to hear the weak protests of Westerners, barely capable of expressing their concerns and calling for a recount of the votes. Something indecent, too, to see the illiberal Viktor Orban, who went to Georgia supporting the pro-Russian government, even though the Hungarian leader presides over the Council of the European Union – the same EU that the Georgians dream of joining.
Yes, Russia has certainly resorted to “sophisticated” methods of fraud, as Georgian President Salomé Zourabichvili claims. Yes, she was able to frighten the population by raising the specter of military intervention, while Westerners have their eyes fixed on Ukraine and the Middle East. But one day, we will have to ask ourselves the question: what have we done to ensure a European future for this former Soviet republic? Why is the ruling oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who violently repressed demonstrations against a law on NGOs last May, still not subject to sanctions?
In the Kremlin, a man is rubbing his hands: the “Georgian domino” is about to fall into his hands. Sunday November 3, another could follow. The second round of the presidential election is taking place in Moldova. Massive fraud will, as we already know, favor the pro-Russian candidate, with complete impunity. In Chisinau, a vote can be bought from 30 euros. The price of democracy. The price of our passivity.