A new domino falls into the hands of Vladimir Putin after the tense elections in Georgia

THE ELECTION in Georgia on October 26 was a pivotal moment for a country once praised by the West for its democratic reforms. The pro-European opposition perhaps saw this as the last chance to repair the damage done by the current anti-Western government and put the country back on track towards membership of the European Union. EU. If the official results are to be believed, that opportunity seems to have slipped away: they showed a decisive victory for the government, Russia-conciliatoryGeorgian Dream party, with 54% of the vote. Election authorities said an alliance of four opposition parties claimed just 38%. If the result holds Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin is closer than ever to its goal of creating a new client state. The Georgian elections have taken place alongside another key test of Russian influence operations: the presidential elections in Moldova, which are taking place in two phases and ending next week.