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Victory for pro-Russian party in "rigged election" in Georgia

For the second  time in as many weeks, Russia has been accused of undermining the democratic process in a former Soviet nation. One week on from the dramatic, razor-thin victory for the pro-European movement in Moldova, over in Georgia the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party won the election, gaining  54% of the vote.  Concerns surrounding the legitimacy of the election led to a mass rally on Monday night, with tens of thousands of Georgians, many draped in EU and Georgian flags, gathering outside parliament.

Has there been interference in Georgia’s election?

The result in Georgia has been met with a torrent of criticism from domestic politicians, foreign heads of state and voting watchdogs. Leader of the largest opposition party, Tinatin Bokuchava, said “the victory was stolen from the Georgian people … We do not accept results of these falsified elections.

Meanwhile, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s preliminary report into the election found that reports of ‘intimidation, coercion and pressure on voters persisted’

Following similar allegations of electoral interference in Moldova last week, the result was met with disdain from a number of political figures in Eastern Europe, with the Estonian foreign minister calling reports coming out of Georgia a  ‘grave concern’. In an interview with the BBC, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze rejected claims of vote-rigging and argued that ‘irregularities happen everywhere’.However, considering most opinion polls place EU membership as being overwhelmingly popular, with around 80% support, it does raise questions about why such a pro-EU electorate has seemingly elected an anti-EU party.

Concerningly, the Georgian PM has said that if his party won the election, he would ban the opposition parties he has previously called ‘criminal’. Dr Tinatin Akhvlediani from the Centre for European Policy Studies has argued such a move would be ‘the end of Georgian democracy’. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen critiquing the result stated that 'Georgians, like all Europeans, must be masters of their own destiny', she added 'the people of Georgia have been striving and fighting for democracy...they have a right to see that electoral irregularities are investigated swiftly'.

Are some Georgians pro-Russia?

Georgia has a complicated history with Russia. From as early as 1800 the country was part of the Russian Empire before briefly gaining independence following the Russian revolution in 1917. The country was consumed by the Soviet Union in 1921 and would remain a part of the union until 1991 following a successful independence referendum. 

After more than  20 years of increasing Westernisation in Georgia, including a war with Russia in 2008, the Georgian Dream (GD) party, led by shadowy billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, came to power in 2012 and began to move Georgia closer toward Moscow’s sphere of influence. Ivanishvili, whose estimated wealth of $7.5 billion is equivalent to 25% of Georgia's GDP, made his fortune in Russia during the chaotic aftermath of the Soviet Union's collapse and has close ties with the Kremlin. Known for his populist and illiberal rhetoric, Ivanishvili has spent the last 12 years turning Georgia away from Europe, inspiring the party he founded to implement increasingly draconian measures that have damaged many Georgians' hopes of future EU membership.

Why was Georgia’s EU application suspended?

Before Saturday the election was framed as a choice between closer ties with Russia or Europe. Georgia had been pursuing EU membership for a number of years and had gained their official candidacy for EU membership in 2023. However, there have been increasing concerns within the EU surrounding the erosion of freedoms under GD , particularly regarding violent crackdowns on protest.

These concerns culminated in the EU announcing over the summer that Georgia’s accession process had been ‘stopped for now’. The decision was made following the implementation of repressive legislation such as the ‘Foreign Agents Bill’, designed to suppress dissent in a similar fashion to Russian legislation. 

What next for Eastern Europe? 

Another former Soviet country, Bulgaria, cast their ballots on Saturday. The pro-Western centre-right GERB party were the victors and will now attempt to form a coalition after winning 26.3% of the vote. In second place were the pro-EU coalition of We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (14.4%) and in third place were the pro-Russian and far-right party Revival (13.3%). Worryingly turnout in Bulgaria for this election was only 38%, illustrating the frustration many feel toward their political system. This disillusionment is likely to have bolstered the performance of populist parties, who achieved a record 30% of the vote.

To the north-west of Bulgaria, Moldova is bracing itself for the final vote of a series of important tests for the country's future. Following a narrow victory for the ‘Yes’ campaign in Moldova’s EU referendum, it is now the presidential run-off between pro-EU candidate and incumbent Maia Sandu, and pro-Russian candidate and former attorney general Alexandr Stoianoglo. Sandu remains the favourite to win the election, but following the shock closeness of the referendum and fears of Russian electoral interference, there is tension in Chișinău ahead of the 3rd November vote.

With Russian interference seemingly on the rise in Eastern Europe, it is imperative that Britain and the EU provide the support required to democrats across the region, to empower them against the threat of authoritarian forces and those who would wish to erode the rights of their citizens to access free and fair elections.