Orbán's visit to Georgia amid election controversy sparks protests

Commenting on the election results in Georgia, Szijjártó stated, "Since the liberals suffered a crushing defeat, the attacks immediately started: the elections weren't fair, there is no democracy in Georgia, etc., etc..."

"The most pathetic thing is that one of the main critics is the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, whose party lost the elections in the eyes of Lithuanian voters yesterday. We congratulate the Georgian Dream party for gaining and maintaining the trust of Georgian society, and we are ready to develop cooperation based on mutual respect and to support the European integration process," wrote the head of Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Facebook.

Dominik Héjj, a political scientist specialising in Hungarian affairs, believes that Hungary's critique of the EU is "in line with predictions".

According to media reports, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced a visit to Georgia on Monday. He intends to congratulate the ruling party on their election victory. The head of the Hungarian government offered congratulations on Saturday, even before the official results of the parliamentary elections were announced. Hungary holds the presidency of the EU Council for this half year.

"Orbán's presence is intended to strengthen legitimacy, and Hungary will likely block EU steps regarding the elections. On the other hand, Orbán will visit as the head of the state holding the presidency in the EU Council," stated Héjj.

The pro-Western President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, declared on Sunday evening that she does not recognise the results of the country's parliamentary elections. She announced a protest in the centre of Tbilisi on Monday.