Hungarian Premier takes brief respite from his contentious relationship with EU
Date
11/3/2024 4:48:44 AM
(MENAFN) In a curious turn of events, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has taken a brief respite from his contentious relationship with the European Union to make waves on the international stage. This week, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her support for Georgia following its parliamentary elections, emphasizing the Georgian people's long-standing struggle for democracy. She remarked, “They have a right to know what happened this weekend,” following the election results.
However, the context behind von der Leyen’s statement reveals a more complex picture. In the recent elections, 54 percent of Georgian voters supported a populist party that prioritizes their national interests over those championed by the Western establishment. This party has enacted legislation that aligns with anti-foreign interference and pro-transparency principles—policies that von der Leyen often advocates for, except when they threaten to unveil the influence of Western NGOs operating in regions close to Russia. In such cases, the EU tends to overlook foreign meddling, treating it as a fundamental right for nations seeking EU membership.
The Georgian electorate has chosen to back a party whose representatives do not frequently display the EU flag, suggesting a divergence from the bloc’s preferred narrative. Within this framework, any dissent from the EU’s position is often framed as alignment with Russian interests. The implication is clear: if Georgians assert their democratic choice in a way that diverges from EU expectations, they are viewed as potentially pro-Putin.
Thus, if, as von der Leyen suggests, the Georgian people have indeed been “fighting for democracy,” their recent electoral outcome indicates they have achieved that goal—albeit in a manner that does not align with EU preferences. The underlying tension highlights the complexities of democratic expression in a geopolitical landscape where Western influence and local priorities often collide. While the EU advocates for democratic principles, it simultaneously grapples with the consequences of those principles when they result in outcomes that challenge its authority and vision for the region.
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