Ex-Pres Saakashvili says Ivanishvili has ‘no chance’ of holding on to power much longer

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday said there was “not a single percent chance” that ruling Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili would be able to retain power for much longer, drawing parallels between Ivanishvili and Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro.

In a post on social media, Saakashvili argued that Ivanishvili’s political trajectory mirrors that of Maduro, claiming both relied on repression to remain in power.

“Maduro had more money than Ivanishvili. Maduro had been in power for 14 years, just like Ivanishvili. Maduro arrested opposition figures, just like Ivanishvili,” Saakashvili wrote.

He added both leaders sought to weaken fragmented opposition movements, while facing constant street protests. Saakashvili also made a symbolic comparison, claiming that Maduro had an underground bunker and that Ivanishvili similarly has a fortified bunker beneath his Sololaki residence.

“Maduro did not make it to his bunker and Ivanishvili will not make it either,” Saakashvili stated.

He concluded that Ivanishvili’s continued grip on power was unsustainable, adding that the key question was whether Georgia would endure the period while Ivanishvili “still looms over the country”.