Members of the ruling Georgian Dream party welcomed Bidzina Ivanishvili’s third political comeback on Saturday, asserting that his return as an honorable advisor was crucial for “saving the country.” The opposition, however, claimed that “fear” and “own interests” compelled the “shadow ruler” to make this decision.
Ivanishvili reappeared ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections, expressing the challenges facing the country had become “more complicated” following Georgia’s recent EU candidacy. He emphasized the need for vigilance against potential pitfalls, including corruption within the Georgian Dream, and attributed the threat to the “complete destruction” of the opposition. Ivanishvili stated that his role as a “chief advisor” would provide the ruling party with a new center of gravity.Discussing the Georgian Dream’s goals over a seven-year perspective, Ivanishvili outlined ambitions to elevate Georgia to the status of a high-income country and join the European Union by 2030. He also highlighted the importance of protecting “national identity” and achieving the “complete restoration” of state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili praised Ivanishvili’s comeback, describing his role as “crucial” for navigating the “next, very complicated 10 years in the region and the world.” Garibashvili anticipated that Ivanishvili’s influence would play a “significant role” in winning 2024 parliamentary elections, making the coming years “more stable and predictable”.
Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili characterized Ivanishvili’s return as the “most important political event crowning the political year”.
In response to Ivanishvili’s comeback, opposition leaders contended that his return was driven by the “failure” to obstruct Georgia’s EU integration and to further his own interests. Gia Baramidze from the United National Movement claimed that Ivanishvili, realizing the people’s resistance, returned as his regime’s time had passed.
Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the For Georgia party, who left the Georgian Dream and premiership in 2021, reacted to Ivanishvili’s return with a tweet, stating, “Good to see Ivanishvili finally managed to come out of his hiding. Excuses were weak. Challenge accepted. Happy New Year!” In his comeback address, Ivanishvili mentioned Gakharia, accusing him of betraying the country and the team three years ago, which he claimed was “unpredictable” for him. Gakharia earlier rejected the allegations of being in alliance with the UNM to “spark unrest” in the country, deeming them unfounded.
