The ruling party Georgian Dream collects 54% on parliamentary elections which took place yesterday Saturday at Agricultureafter counting the votes in more than 99% of the polling stations, the electoral commission announced today.

The result is a blow for the pro-European coalition. “We do not recognize the false results of the stolen elections,” Tina Bokutsava, head of the pro-European United National Movement, one of the four opposition parties that formed an alliance ahead of the election, said during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

Denouncing “the usurpation of power and a constitutional coup” o Nika Gvaramia head of the party Akhali assured that the opposition has “deciphered the election fraud plans”.

The opposition blames his Georgian Dream Bidzina Ivanishviliwhich has been in power since 2012, for authoritarian and pro-Russian tendencies and for distancing the country from the EU and NATO.

Brussels had warned that the outcome of the election would determine Georgia’s chances of joining the EU, a goal the country has enshrined in its constitution.

The government has said it wants to secure two-thirds of the 150-seat parliament, which would allow it to amend Georgia’s constitution and, under its plans, ban pro-Western opposition parties.

Georgia was rocked in May by large protests against the “foreign influence” law, which was based on Russian “foreign agent” legislation used to silence civil society and any form of opposition.

Soon after, Brussels froze Georgia’s EU accession process and the US imposed sanctions on Georgian officials. Tbilisi reacted by threatening to “reexamine” its diplomatic ties with Washington.

Another source of tension with the West is the recent ratification of legislation that significantly restricts the rights of the LGBTI+ community in Georgia.

The only foreign leader who reacted as early as yesterday was the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbanwho was quick to congratulate the ruling party on its “overwhelming victory” in the election.

“The people of Georgia know what is best for their country and today their voice was heard,” he said.

The election, watched by international observers, was marred by several incidents, some of which were broadcast on social media, such as a video showing a brawl at a polling station in Tbilisi or clashes at the headquarters of the United National Movement.

Images appearing to show people filling the ballot boxes in Sadakhlo, a village in eastern Georgia, were posted on social media by the opposition. The Electoral Commission canceled the votes in that polling station