According to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, such a decision seriously calls into question the independence of the entire mission. “A person with deep ties to the Kremlin and to Vladimir Putin personally cannot lead election observation. This undermines trust in the conduct of the elections and may lead to biased assessments of the entire electoral process,” Tsahkna stressed.
He added that, in a situation where Russia is consistently seeking to weaken democratic institutions, Europe must make particular efforts to ensure the independence, transparency and impartiality of election observation. “Disregarding these principles makes one of the most important safeguards of democracy vulnerable,” he said.
“The upcoming elections in Hungary must be free, fair and free from any external interference.”
