“As you are all well aware, Bidzina Ivanishvili is the primary target of aggression and political attacks from our country’s external enemies and their local agents. They claim that the nation is governed not by democratic rules, but single-handedly by Bidzina Ivanishvili. Furthermore, they refer to the democratically elected government as ‘the Ivanishvili regime’, trying to paint the democracy established since 2012 as an autocracy,” the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, stated at a briefing held at the Government Administration.
According to the Prime Minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s role in strengthening Georgian statehood, democracy, and human rights is entirely extraordinary.
“As you are all well aware, Bidzina Ivanishvili is the primary target of aggression and political attacks from our country’s external enemies and their local agents. They claim that the nation is governed not by democratic rules, but single-handedly by Bidzina Ivanishvili. Furthermore, they refer to the democratically elected government as ‘the Ivanishvili regime’, trying to paint the democracy established since 2012 as an autocracy. We heard these exact narratives during Saturday’s and yesterday’s televised debates, which prompted me to voice my position on this matter before the Georgian public.
First and foremost, it must be noted that Bidzina Ivanishvili’s role in strengthening Georgia’s statehood, democracy, and human rights is entirely extraordinary. I have said it several times and wish to emphasise it once more: Bidzina Ivanishvili is a political grandmaster, and he loves his people and his country. His political weight rests precisely on these two pillars: his exceptional intellect and his selfless patriotism.
It was this unique combination of qualities that enabled him in 2012 to achieve what everyone thought impossible: to orchestrate a grandmaster-level removal from power of a foreign asset network, which had been given a green light from abroad to perpetrate any form of violence. At a time when no other force was visible that could put an end to the bloody regime of these foreign agents, Bidzina Ivanishvili, wearing white gloves, without any violence or indignity, removed the regime from power and established democratic governance based on human rights.
In 2012, the Georgian people witnessed Bidzina Ivanishvili’s competence and his devotion to the nation. They placed their trust in him, initiating a period of profound and transformative change in our country. More than 14 years have passed since then, and this public trust has only grown stronger. Once again, because throughout these immensely challenging years, it was precisely Bidzina Ivanishvili’s intellect and uncompromising patriotism that enabled Georgia to overcome numerous formidable obstacles.
One of the foremost achievements of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s tenure is the strengthening of our state institutions. Against this backdrop, the rhetoric from external enemies of the country and their local agents, claiming that state institutions do not exist in Georgia and that autocracy has taken root, is an absolute fabrication and, personally, I find it insulting. It is for this very reason that I deem it essential to clarify the respective roles of our state institutions on the one hand, and of Bidzina Ivanishvili on the other, in the governance of this country.
First and foremost, it must be noted that Bidzina Ivanishvili serves as the Honorary Chairman and a member of the Political Council of the ruling party. This was the exact capacity in which the ruling party presented itself in the 2024 parliamentary elections, and secured a robust mandate from the Georgian people exactly on this basis. Consequently, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s role in the nation’s political life is not only fully formalised, but grounded in direct democratic legitimacy.
The Government of Georgia governs the country in strict accordance with the constitutional powers and authority granted to it by the Constitution of Georgia. The consistent experiences of various Prime Ministers have shown that Bidzina Ivanishvili does not interfere excessively in government affairs. Bidzina Ivanishvili influences government decisions only to the extent that aligns with the role of the ruling party’s Honorary Chairman. This means that, essentially, he does not interfere in day-to-day government management or personnel decisions. At the same time, as the Head of Government and the second-in-command within the ruling party, I frequently benefit from his advice when dealing with matters of pivotal importance to the country. His counsel is always invaluable, and turning our backs on such an opportunity would be wrong, above all, for the national interest.
Periodic meetings are held with Bidzina Ivanishvili and the team leadership to discuss key policy issues. It should also be noted that Bidzina Ivanishvili holds a profound respect for dissenting opinions. Consequently, every position within the team is forged through open, deep, and thorough deliberation. I will tell you frankly that during these open and rigorous debates, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s perspective most often prevails, which is, yet again, a testament to his exceptional competence.
Another circumstance that must be highlighted is that Bidzina Ivanishvili has never used the public’s trust for personal gain. No one can produce a single fact suggesting that Bidzina Ivanishvili has derived any personal benefit from politics. Conversely, there is abundant proof that he sacrificed his personal interests for the good of the country.
His stance on corruption is uncompromising. I would remind you that it was ultimately the issues surrounding corruption that prompted his decision to return to politics. Speaking at the party congress in December 2023, he made a clear indication regarding the problem of corruption, and it was precisely his return to politics that enabled us to act swiftly. As a result, corruption at the upper echelons of governance has now been completely eradicated.
Politics is full of instances where politicians take the nation’s wealth home with them. Bidzina Ivanishvili represents the exact opposite, a fact he has firmly cemented through his multi-billion-dollar philanthropic endeavours and his political charity. It is well known that because of his principled defence of national interests, he was first targeted by de facto sanctions and later by de jure sanctions, which also caused significant hardship for his family. However, no sanction has managed to compel either him or his family to take even a single step against the country’s interests. This is yet another clear example of the selfless patriotism that consistently characterises Bidzina Ivanishvili’s statesmanship.
Bidzina Ivanishvili is fought by external forces and their local agents, driven by a desire to reclaim possession of Georgia. They possess an insatiable urge to drag the country back to the reality that Bidzina Ivanishvili changed in 2012. That was a rule by foreign assets, which brought Georgia the total violation of democracy and human rights, business racketeering, the elimination of media freedom, war, devastation, and the occupation of 20 per cent of our territories.
The consequences of governance by foreign networks are no less severe in European countries, where the main cause of the decline in democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and media, the weakening of national and religious identity, and economic stagnation is precisely the loss of state sovereignty. European countries that were once exemplary are today experiencing severe crises – the direct result of their governments serving external forces rather than their own people. The primary reason for the hostility towards Bidzina Ivanishvili is directly related to this: he freed the Georgian people from ‘agentocracy’ and restored what rightfully belongs to them: democracy and the right to choose.
In conclusion, I will reiterate what I have stated many times before. The fact that Georgia today maintains 14 years of uninterrupted peace, that the country is more independent and sovereign than ever, that it possesses a resilient democratic system and robust state institutions, that human welfare is the state’s main guiding principle, and that the Georgian economy is growing at a rapid pace is, first and foremost, the merit of Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Consequently, the country’s governance will undoubtedly proceed in full accordance with the Constitution of Georgia and based on the principles of Georgian politics established by Bidzina Ivanishvili in 2012. In firmly defending and consolidating these principles within Georgian politics, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s role has been, is, and will continue to be extraordinary and invaluable,” Irakli Kobakhidze stated.
