Orbán was ahead of the game, though, congratulating Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the Georgian Dream party on their “overwhelming victory” on Saturday — before the election results had even been published.
“The people of Georgia know what is best for their country, and made their voice heard today!” Orbán wrote on X.
A senior Hungarian official confirmed to POLITICO late on Sunday that the trip would go ahead, and Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs posted on X that the “official visit” was organized at Georgia’s request. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Economy Minister Márton Nagy and Finance Minister Mihály Varga will accompany Orbán.
The visit will again highlight the stark differences in foreign policy between Orbán’s Hungary, which holds the rotating six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, and others around the bloc.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has rejected claims that the vote was not conducted fairly. | Carl Court/Getty Images
Orbán sparked outrage from EU leaders over the summer with a series of “peace visits” to Ukraine, Russia and China, during which he shook hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Granted anonymity to speak frankly, a senior EU diplomat said Orbán’s trip to Georgia should be understood only as “another solo effort by Orbán, who is traveling in a national capacity and, as the Council presidency, expressly does not speak for the European Union to the outside world.”