Opposition leader Anna Dolidze withdraws her party from Strong Georgia coalition

Georgian opposition politician Anna Dolidze has announced that her party, For the People, is withdrawing from the Strong Georgia coalition and will resume independent political activities.

In a statement posted on social media, Dolidze expressed gratitude to supporters who backed her party during recent elections and placed their trust in the broader opposition alliance. She emphasised that the coalition’s primary goal had been to prevent the ruling party's founder, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, from consolidating further political power and undermining Georgia’s pro-European trajectory.

“Our main task was not to allow Ivanishvili to steal your votes and harm Georgia's European course,” Dolidze wrote. “For this purpose, we put aside our ambitions and goals. Our main task was the interests and love for Georgia.”

Dolidze praised the spirit of cooperation within the Strong Georgia coalition, describing it as a valuable contribution to a political culture that she claimed lacks collaboration. However, she said that the time had come for her party to pursue its own agenda independently.

She also highlighted For the People's growing ties with the Party of European Socialists (PES), noting that the partnership was entering a new phase. “We have the ambition to become an observer member of the European Socialist Party,” she said, framing the move as a step towards deeper engagement with European institutions.

Dolidze, a lawyer, a former member of the High Council of Justice and ex-deputy Defence Minister founded the For the People party in 2020.