Hungarian FM vows to veto EU sanctions against Georgian officials

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has pledged to veto a proposal to impose EU sanctions on Georgian officials, for their crackdown on anti-government protests.

Speaking alongside Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili, Szijjarto criticized the EU and the “international liberal elite” and claimed that he is “completely against” any sanctions towards Georgia, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

“Hungary is completely against the fact that Georgian government officials should be put on a sanction list,” said Szijjártó at a joint press conference with Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili.

“If the opposition had won the elections, Brussels would be loudly proclaiming that Georgian democracy has never been stronger. But now that a conservative party has won, they are doing everything in their power to dismiss and ignore the will of the people, questioning the democratic choices expressed by the Georgian people in free elections in a completely undemocratic manner. This is indeed a serious and transparently boring game played by the liberal mainstream, which we strongly reject," the minister said.

He emphasized that Hungary remains fully committed to supporting Georgia’s European integration efforts, unlike Brussels, where the liberal mainstream is working to alienate Georgia. "We believe this approach is not only harmful but also dangerously misguided."

"Recently, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that addresses the nation in a humiliating manner. We reject this, as the European Parliament’s actions are harmful both to its member states and to those aspiring for European accession. The reality is that the European Parliament is dominated by a pro-war, liberal majority that continuously attacks those advocating for peace. Therefore, we urge Brussels and the international liberal elites to respect the decision of the Georgian people and not question their sovereign right to determine the future of their own country," he added.

According to him, "Just moments ago, we received an unfounded proposal from Brussels suggesting that the Georgian Minister of the Interior and two high-ranking police officers be placed on the European sanctions list. This is outrageous and unsupported by any evidence. Hungary is completely against the fact that Georgian government officials should be put on a sanction list. If any such proposals are received, we will veto them, and you can be assured of that."

The EU Foreign Affairs Council is set to discuss the situation on December 16, with a possibility of potential sanction introductions.

Notably, Tbilisi's ties with multiple European countries have steadily deteriorated since the pro-Russian Georgian Dream adopted a controversial "foreign agents" law in May. Tensions only mounted after Georgian Dream declared victory in the Oct. 26 parliamentary elections despite widespread accusations of a rigged vote.

The latest wave of protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party broke out two weeks ago, after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the suspension of the South Caucasus' EU accession process until at least 2028.

Over 220 people have been arrested during the ensuing crackdown, with dozens reported injured as the Georgian police deployed tear gas and water cannons.

Budapest is broadly seen as the most Moscow-friendly country within the EU and NATO, repeatedly obstructing aid to Kyiv and sanctions against Russia. Szijjarto has also repeatedly visited Russia throughout the full-scale war, a step that his European colleagues avoided.

By Khagan Isayev