Manana Kobakhidze ( Georgian : მანანა კობახიძე ) (born February 3, 1968) is a Georgian lawyer and politician. She served as a Member of the Parliament of Georgia from 2012 to 2017 and as First Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia from 2012 to 2016. Since 2017, she has served as the Judge of the Constitutional Court of Georgia .
85-623: Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia ( GD ), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi , is a Pro-Russian populist political party in Georgia . It is currently the ruling party in Georgia. Irakli Garibashvili serves as the party chairman, while the former chairman Irakli Kobakhidze has served as the Prime Minister since February 2024. Bidzina Ivanishvili , widely considered the de facto leading person of
170-482: A December 2018 survey by IranPoll, 63.8% of Iranians have a favorable view of Russia. Diana Șoșoacă , a prominent figure in S.O.S. Romania , has garnered significant support on the social media platform Telegram . Many of her supporters on the platform express Russophile sentiments. Russia is popular in Serbia , and many Serbs have traditionally seen Russia as a close ally due to shared Slavic heritage, culture, and
255-432: A more proportional system, an internationally mediated compromise as a result of the protests. The opposition decried the results as illegitimate and responded by organizing protests and refusing to participate in the new parliament. The OSCE - ODIHR election observation mission in its preliminary conclusions noted that the elections "were competitive and, overall, fundamental freedoms were respected", but it also said that
340-571: A number of Russia's domestic and foreign policies. Some Russophilic politicians may also support russification of their country (especially in former Soviet states or Soviet satellite states ) such as Alexander Lukashenko . The Armenian Revolutionary Federation , Republican Party of Armenia and Prosperous Armenia are the main Pro-Russian political parties in Armenia . Belarus has close political and economic ties with Russia, both being part of
425-504: A scheme in which the debts of 600,000 Georgians would be written-off and covered by his charity, in an attempt to secure Zourabichvili's victory. It was considered "an unprecedented case of vote-bribing". The government supported scheme was enough to boost Georgian Dream's popularity and give Zourabichvili a victory in the second round. The summer of 2019 set off a prolonged period of political unrest and civil discontent with Georgian Dream's rule. On 20 June 2019, Parliament of Georgia hosted
510-518: A step in the interests of the Georgian state and people". The US ambassador to Georgia said the step undermined European sanctions and travel restrictions against Russia, by providing a "gateway for Russians to flood Europe". During the 2020 election campaign, Georgian Dream pledged to apply for membership in the European Union in 2024. When Ukraine announced its application four days after the start of
595-821: A survey conducted by the Carter Center China Focus in April 2022, approximately 75% of respondents agreed that supporting Russia in the war in Ukraine was in China's best interest. In the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine , the nationalistic Little Pink movement drew international attention for their role in contributing to the mostly pro-war, pro-Russia sentiments on the Chinese internet. The Communist movement in Finland during
680-510: A third of its original volume, with Russia's share in the EU's imports having fallen from 9.5% to 1.7%. Additionally, the trade between the two countries rapidly grew in 2023 as well. While Georgia did not take part in the economic sanctions against Russia, it initially did "act fully in accordance with the financial sanctions" imposed by the United States and others. In 2024 reports surfaced however that
765-559: A total of nine MPs left the Georgian Dream parliamentary faction to establish People's Power party. The MPs maintained their support for the government and are a part of the parliamentary majority. They explain their reasons for leaving as not being given the freedom to speak "the truth about the West" and its officials. The MPs expressed strong anti-western sentiments and spread conspiracy theories such as that in exchange for EU candidate status,
850-457: A war with Russia would cause significant harm to Georgia. Georgian Dream MP Gia Volski called on the EU and US to "distance themselves" from statements from some Ukrainian officials to "see Georgia engage in war". Soon after, Georgian Dream's rhetoric turned conspiratorial accusing the so-called " Global War Party " of being behind such calls with which several pro-Western opposition parties are allegedly affiliated. The party has recently expanded
935-517: Is Russophobia . In the 19th century, Russophilia was often linked to variants of pan-Slavism , since the Russian Empire and autonomous Serbia were the only two Slavic sovereign states during and after the Springtime of Nations . In politics the term has been used to describe politicians and political parties that support their nations having stronger or closer relations to Russia and/or support
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#17328547795541020-415: Is frequently described as anti-Western , Eurosceptic , and pro-Russian . Political analyst and a former member of Georgian Dream Paata Zakareishvili, has described the party as "undemocratic but not anti-democratic, not Western but not anti-Western, not Russian but not anti-Russian." Georgian Dream leaders maintain the party's official goal of Western integration stating that Georgia will become "a member of
1105-612: The Cold War inclined towards pro-Soviet tendencies, of which the Taistoist movement was especially pro-Soviet. The Finnish political party Power Belongs to the People (VKK) was unique in its strong support of Russia, being the only pro-Russian party in Finland as of 2022. It protested against sanctions on Russia and supported the 2022 invasion of Ukraine . The party has since dissasociated from
1190-558: The Indonesian invasion of East Timor . Russophiles are also found among the political left , who support Russia due to inaugural Indonesian president Sukarno 's closeness to the Soviet Union. Pro-Russian sentiment is especially strong among members of the governing Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle , led by Sukarno's daughter Megawati Sukarnoputri , who publicly criticized Ukraine and president Volodymyr Zelenskyy . According to
1275-628: The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy , an organization set up by the Greek parliament to unite Orthodox Christian lawmakers worldwide. With both Russia and Georgia being members of the organization, the Russian delegation arrived to take part in the session in the Georgian parliament. The session was opened with a speech from Sergei Gavrilov , a Russian lawmaker from the Communist Party of
1360-672: The Muslim world . Public animosity towards the West has resulted from the wars waged in Afghanistan and Iraq by the US and its allies, and their perceived neglectful treatment of the Palestinians in the territories occupied by Israel . Some Indonesians have positively compared support for Russian president Vladimir Putin in the Russo-Ukrainian War to support for former president Suharto in
1445-629: The Orthodox faith . According to the European Council on Foreign Relations , 54% of Serbians see Russia as an ally. In comparison, 11% see the European Union as an ally, and only 6% see the United States in the same manner. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, People's Patrol , a far-right group, organized pro-Russian rallies in Belgrade , which were attended by 4,000 people. In 2017,
1530-543: The Russian invasion , Georgian opposition politicians called for the country to do the same. However, Georgian Dream reacted reluctantly, saying that not all commitments to apply had been fulfilled yet, and that Ukraine's case was rather a "political gesture" by the European Union amid the Ukraine war, a case that would not have applied to Georgia as it was not in the war. Thus, the party initially said that it would stick to its original schedule. Nonetheless, it soon yielded to
1615-673: The Russian invasion of Ukraine , these numbers surged. A YouGov poll found nearly 62% of Republicans preferred Vladimir Putin over Joe Biden , noting that the former was a stronger leader than the latter. Many notable Republicans, including former President Donald Trump , television presenter Tucker Carlson , and incumbent Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene have all expressed admiration for Russia and its leaders. Favorable perceptions of Russia in Vietnam have 83% of Vietnamese people viewing Russia's influence positively in 2017. This stems from historic Soviet support of Vietnam during
1700-550: The Tbilisi -based human rights advocacy organization Article 42 of the Constitution in 2003. She became Executive Director of this organization in 2009. In 2012, she joined the new opposition party Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia (GDDG) founded by the tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili . On April 21, 2012, Kobakhidze became the GDDG's temporary chairperson as Ivanishvili was not allowed to lead
1785-654: The Union State , the Collective Security Treaty Organization , the Commonwealth of Independent States , and the Eurasian Economic Union , due to their shared Soviet heritage. Following the 2020-2021 Belarusian protests and the Russian invasion of Ukraine , many observers have described Belarus as a Russian puppet state or a satellite state . The People's Republic of China under
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#17328547795541870-805: The Vietnam War . [REDACTED] Media related to Russophiles at Wikimedia Commons Manana Kobakhidze Manana Kobakhidze graduated from the Tbilisi State University with a degree in history in 1990 and from the Tbilisi Institute of Law in 2003. She worked in Georgian State Television as reporter from 1990 to 1991. She was teacher at Tbilisi 54th School from 1991 to 2001 and the Specialist at Pedagogical Innovations Center of Tbilisi Education Division from 1994 to 1995. She joined
1955-489: The presidential election in the first round with 61.1% of the vote. Saakashvili soon left the country amid threats that too would be persecuted. Having looked over the transfer of power, Ivanishvili stepped down as prime minister, formally quitting the political arena, while running the government from behind the scenes. Ivanishvili was succeeded by Irakli Garibashvili , under whose tenure Georgia made major steps towards European Union integration. In June 2014 Georgia signed
2040-524: The "pervasive allegations of pressure on voters and blurring of the line between the ruling party and the state reduced public confidence in some aspects of the process". On 11 January 2021, amidst the 2020–2021 Georgian political crisis , Ivanishvili announced that he was decisively leaving politics and resigned as Chairman of Georgian Dream, stating that "he had accomplished his goal". Gakharia resigned as Prime Minister in February 2021, citing his opposition to
2125-494: The 2006 Sandro Girgvliani murder case and the loss of territories through the 2008 Russo-Georgian War contributed to the party's increasing loss of support among the general populace. A range of other infringements on privacy and legal rights in combination with intimidation and coercion of the business sector added to the grievances. Given this context, Bidzina Ivanishvili , an oligarch primarily known for charity work and contributions to public projects, decided to step out of
2210-410: The 2021 local elections, gaining 46.75% of the vote. The mayoral candidates from Georgian Dream won in all municipalities except Tsalenjikha . However, the party lost its majority in 7 out of 64 municipal assemblies. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Georgian Dream aided Ukraine by providing humanitarian assistance and sheltering refugees, while also consistently supporting it at
2295-501: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . A survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in 2016 found that 67% of Ukrainians had a positive attitude to Russians, but that only 8% had a positive attitude to the Russian government. 41% of Ukrainians had a "good" attitude towards Russians (42% negatively), while in general 54% of Russians had a positive attitude towards Ukraine, according to an October 2021 poll of
2380-561: The 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. According to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center , 71% of Russians have a favourable view of China. A YouGov survey conducted in the same year found that 71% of the Chinese think Russia has a positive effect on world affairs. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, many social media users in China showed sympathy for Russian narratives due in part to distrust of US foreign policy . According to
2465-636: The Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, both of which were initiated under the Saakashvili-led government. Meanwhile, cracks appeared within the Georgian Dream coalition. Free Democrats left the coalition in November 2014 when Defence Minister Irakli Alasania , a member of the party, was fired by Garibashvili. Soon after becoming president, Margvelashvili's relations with
2550-518: The EU", the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell called the bill "incompatible with EU values and standards" and Danish Foreign Ministry bluntly stating "Georgia will not advance on the path to EU membership". Afterwards, President Salome Zourabichvili referred to the ruling party as the "Russian Dream". The government has been widely condemned for
2635-517: The National Bank of Georgia was facilitating Russian importers to avoid Western financial sanctions by settling accounts in rubles. Russia abolished the visa regime for Georgians in May 2023 and lifted flight sanctions that were in place since July 2019. Direct flights resumed within a few weeks, despite European and American objections. Georgian Dream officials strongly defended the resumption of flights "as
Georgian Dream - Misplaced Pages Continue
2720-551: The Russian Federation , whilst sitting in the chair of the Head of Parliament. Opposition members said it was denigrating of Georgian sovereignty and completely unacceptable that Gavrilov presided over a session in Georgian parliament, as a representative of the occupying power with a history of casting anti-Georgia votes. The opposition called for protests in front of the parliament building. Some representatives of Georgian Dream said
2805-778: The Russophilic political party , the Party of Regions , became the largest party in the Verkhovna Rada in the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election , receiving 33% of the votes. It would remain a dominant force in Ukrainian politics, until the 2014 Revolution of Dignity . Following the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine , the overall attitude of Ukrainians towards Russia and Russians has become much more negative, with most Ukrainians favoring NATO and European Union membership . Their views on Russia would further deteriorate following
2890-542: The United States of conducting a "policy of blackmail, intimidation". On 6 June the United States announced sanctions against Members of the Georgian Dream party, members of Parliament , law enforcement , private citizens, along their immediate family members, "responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia, such as undermining the freedom of peaceful assembly and association , violently attacking peaceful protesters , intimidating civil society representatives, and deliberately spreading disinformation at
2975-415: The United States. He did, however, single out "a few isolated incidents". Georgian Dream has been accused of deploying what its critics are calling Titushkys . The so-called Titushkys have taken part in mass beatings of opposition, civil society, and protestors, damaging and defacing the opposition parties and NGO's offices, and disrupting public events organized by the opposition. The opposition has accused
3060-417: The West of double standards, as it did not impose sanctions in 2008 when Georgia was invaded by Russia, and continuing "business as usual". Ever since the start of the war, Georgia has seen an increase in trade with Russia. Exports to Russia rose by 7% in 2022 while imports increased by 79%, making Georgia economically more reliant on Russia, as opposed to the trade between the EU and Russia, which decreased to
3145-638: The West ordered Georgia to partially give up its sovereignty and go to war with Russia. In March 2023, Georgian Dream supported the drafting of a so-called law on ' foreign agents ' which was presented by the People's Power party. Supporters of the bill have argued that it is needed to prevent foreign influence in Georgian politics and uphold the country's sovereignty. The law would label civil society and media organizations that receive more than 20% of their total funding from abroad as "foreign agents", similar to legislation introduced in Russia in 2012 . Subsequently, it
3230-507: The action of Gavrilov was a provocation and claimed the session should have been chaired by the Greek deputy Anastasios Nerantzis . Gavrilov however, insisted he was instructed by the protocol service of Georgian parliament. That same day, a large protest took place in front of Parliament, which was violently dispersed by the orders of Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia . It became known as Gavrilov's Night. Georgian Dream leader Ivanishvili said
3315-533: The antithesis of that pitiable European petty-state politics and nervousness, with which the foundation of the German Reich has entered its crucial phase..." in his 1895 book The Antichrist . A poll conducted in summer 2022 shows that Indians most frequently named Russia their most trusted partner, with 43% naming Russia as such compared to 27% who named the US. Support for Russia remains high among Indonesians, owing to Moscow's perceived ties to Muslims and
3400-545: The big family called Europe with our own identity and sovereignty". Shalva Papuashvili , Georgian Dream's chair of parliament, has positioned the party as the only political force in Georgia "merging Europeanism and patriotism". Russophilia Russophilia is the admiration and fondness of Russia (including the era of the Soviet Union and/or the Russian Empire ), Russian history , and Russian culture . The antonym
3485-692: The citizens of Georgia to the Schengen Area , with the European Council and the European Parliament giving the final approval in 2017. Prior to the 2016 parliamentary election , it was announced in March 2016 that the Georgian Dream coalition would be dissolved as its members decided to run separately in the election. Following this, the National Forum left the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority in April 2016, while four other parties formally remained in
Georgian Dream - Misplaced Pages Continue
3570-488: The coalition: the Conservative Party of Georgia and Industry Will Save Georgia . The six-party Georgian Dream coalition led by Ivanishvili successfully challenged the ruling United National Movement in the 2012 parliamentary election . It won 54.97% of the vote, while UNM received 40.34%, granting the coalition a majority of 85 seats in parliament. The remaining 65 seats went to UNM. President Saakashvili conceded
3655-614: The connections to Russia after Ano Turtiainen was replaced by Antti Asikainen. The Finnish political activist Johan Bäckman is known for his pro-Russian views and he has recruited Finns to fight for Russia in the war with Ukraine. Bäckman later joined the VKK, led by Ano Turtiainen . Some members of the Finns Party also held pro-Russian views. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche described Russia as "the only power that has durability in it, which can wait, which can still produce something...
3740-523: The conspiracy theory to accuse the alleged organization of being behind the attempted assassination of Robert Fico and Donald Trump . Kobakhidze has further alleged threats on his life as well as a plot to topple his government. The Western officials has dismissed the government's claims, with the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O'Brien referring to it as "Reddit page coming to life". Meanwhile, in 2022
3825-400: The constitution in ways that it sees could make reunification with the separatist territories easier. Georgian Dream has urged its supporters to grant them a constitutional majority, promising to use it to initiate a ban on the "collective National Movement", a term they use to refer to nearly all the major pro-Western parties, and declare them unconstitutional. The party has gone on to specify
3910-424: The country have been pushed by several EU countries. Mamuka Mdinaradze , the parliamentary majority leader, has stated that threatening Georgian officials with sanctions over passing legislation is unacceptable and instead asked the US to take steps that will strengthen Georgia-US partnership , like the introduction of free economic relations, visa liberalization, and direct flights with Georgia. The party has accused
3995-614: The country's population. According to an interview made by the Ukrainian "Rada" TV channel , former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson is a Russophile, admiring Russian language and culture, even after the Russian invasion of Ukraine . Many members of the Republican Party in the United States express positive views on Russia. A 2017 poll highlighted that around 32% of respondents had favorable views of Russian president Vladimir Putin . Following
4080-521: The country. It also recommended the European Council to sanction Ivanishvili for "his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia", the "level of control he exerts over the government and its decisions, including those on the politically motivated persecution of journalists and political opponents", and his "exposed personal and business links to the Kremlin, which determine the position of
4165-547: The court-ordered arrest of his political rival UNM leader Nika Melia on charges of organizing violence in the 2019 protests. He shortly announced his departure from Georgian Dream. Several MPs from Georgian Dream joined him to form the For Georgia party. Garibashvili was selected as his successor, heading the Second Garibashvili government , who immediately ordered the arrest of Melia. On 19 April 2021, Georgian Dream and
4250-399: The current Government of Georgia towards sanctions on Russia". In the same month, the European Union granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, but postponed it for Georgia, citing the need for reforms by the ruling party. In the second half of her tenure, President Zourabichvili became increasingly alienated from Georgian Dream, as she criticized the government for what she described as
4335-511: The different political strains that were present within the party, including social democracy , market liberalism and social conservatism . Its origins as an all-encompassing front in opposition to the United National Movement government contributed to the opaque political ideology. Georgian political scientist Levan Lortkipanidze described Georgian Dream as "a party which is held together through loyalty to its charismatic leader and
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#17328547795544420-656: The diplomatic level. As such, 245,000 refugees from Ukraine have crossed into Georgia, primarily from the heavily war-affected areas in the Eastern Ukraine . The Georgian government responded by providing temporary accommodation and access to healthcare and education. However, it did not join economic sanctions imposed on Russia by several Western countries and refused to provide military assistance to Ukraine. Prime Minister Garibashvili argued in 2023 that sanctioning Russia would harm Georgia more than Russia, due to its dependence on Russian trade rather than vice versa. He also accused
4505-450: The direct presidential elections. In April 2018, Ivanishvili returned to politics when he was appointed the chairman of the Georgian Dream party. His comeback was taken for granted as he had retained overwhelming sway over the party ever since his formal resignation in 2013. Prime Minister Kvirikashvili suddenly resigned in June 2018, claiming "disagreements with the leader of the ruling party" as
4590-522: The direction of the Georgian government ". Ahead of the 2024 parliamentary election Georgian Dream announced that it along with its more explicit anti-Western offshoot People's Power would run on the same list. Georgian Dream presented the election as a choice between "war and peace, moral degradation and traditional values, Georgia's subservience to external powers and an independent and sovereign state". The party promised to ban "LGBT propaganda" and change
4675-486: The elected opposition MPs took up their parliamentary mandates which they had refused until then. However, the largest opposition party United National Movement refused to join the agreement, which led Georgian Dream to withdraw from the agreement two months before the 2021 local elections. According to the head of the Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze, the agreement "failed to accomplish its goals" because UNM refused to join it. Georgian Dream managed to secure victory in
4760-431: The general elections of 2016 , 2020 and 2024 . Georgian Dream originally declared itself and was described as a centre-left pro-European party, pursuing Euro-Atlantic integration . However, over time it moved in an explicitly culturally conservative illiberal Eurosceptic direction. It is today described as combining ideas of left and right, despite remaining to the left on fiscal matters. The main criticism of
4845-546: The government of being directly involved in the violence, a claim that was virtually admitted by the Georgian Dream lawmaker Dito Samkharadze . While investigations have started no charges have been given out. United States Senate in May 2024 considered a bipartisan Georgia sanctions bill that would target the Georgian Dream lawmakers, their families, and others who "have material responsibility for undermining or injuring democracy, human rights, or security in Georgia". Similar sanctions as well as suspension of visa-free travel for
4930-522: The government's initially swift handling of the COVID-19 pandemic . It helped the party regain the support it had lost in the aftermath of the Gavrilov's Night scandal. Georgian Dream was able to re-create its 2016 performance in the popular vote but lost 25 seats under the amended electoral system. The number of single-mandate majoritarian districts was reduced and the threshold was lowered from 5% to 1%, to create
5015-514: The importance of inter-party democracy and the need to "give others a chance". Garibashvili became the Chairman of the Georgian Dream party, while Irakli Kobakhidze replaced him as Prime Minister. Shortly after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, several Ukrainian officials made remarks suggesting Georgia and Moldova to open a "second front" against Russia . Georgian Dream officials have heavily criticized those remarks, stating that
5100-591: The inhabitants of the Serbian village of Adžinci renamed their village Putinovo , in honor of Vladimir Putin. Following Ukrainian independence in 1991, in the 1991 Ukrainian independence referendum 92% (including 55% of ethnic Russians ) voted for independence from Moscow, but some Ukrainians, mostly in the east and south of the country, voted to see a more Russophile attitude of the government , ranging from closer economic partnership to full national union. Russia and Ukraine had especially close economic ties, and
5185-507: The lack of commitment to the EU candidacy and limited support to Ukraine. In response, the government of PM Garibashvili denounced the President on a few occasions for traveling abroad where she planned to visit Brussels and Paris without government authorization. In the fall of 2023 Georgian Dream alleged Zourabichvili had violated the Constitution with these actions, but ultimately failed to impeach her due to lack of parliamentary support from
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#17328547795545270-578: The latter decided to complete his final term, which meant an uneasy political cohabitation throughout 2013. The new government introduced the State Universal Healthcare Program, making emergency surgeries and childbirth free of charge, increased welfare spending, and initiated reforms on self-governance, law enforcement agencies, and agriculture. Georgian Dream additionally began to persecute former government and opposition officials on charges of corruption, abuse of power, and torture. In October 2013, Georgian Dream nominated candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili won
5355-479: The leadership of the Communist Party has supported the Russian Federation closely following international sanctions after Russia invaded Ukraine . China had close ties with the Soviet Union prior to the Sino-Soviet split , owing to ideological kinship between the two communist states. Previous anti-Russian sentiment in China has greatly downgraded, due to perceived common anti-Western sentiment among Russian and Chinese nationalists. Ethnic Russians are one of
5440-418: The loss and pledged to support the constitutional process of forming a new government. This was the first democratic transfer of power in Georgia. The election also marked the beginning of the transition from a presidential system to a parliamentary system of government. On 25 October 2012, Ivanishvili was elected as the prime minister of Georgia . He had requested Saakashvili to step down as president, but
5525-415: The majority group until the election. Despite the coalition falling apart, Kvirikashvili led Georgian Dream to a landslide victory in the 2016 Georgian parliamentary election , winning a constitutional majority of 115 seats out of 150. Utilizing their supermajority, Georgian Dream made grand amendments to the constitution , such as completing the transition to a parliamentary system and the abolition of
5610-403: The opposition signed an agreement mediated by Charles Michel , President of the European Council , which ended the six-month political crisis that stemmed from the contested 2020 parliamentary election. The agreement stipulated snap parliamentary elections if Georgian Dream would garner less than 43% of the vote in the October 2021 local elections . Most parties signed the agreement and most of
5695-679: The opposition to the government of the ' Rose Revolution '" (UNM). Ivanishvili's form of government in the early years was described as "popular oligarchy ". The party has been described as adhering to the "ideology-free" technocratic populism : transcending right–left ideological landscape . Lately, Georgian Dream has been characterized as being more ideologically consistent. It is commonly labeled as conservative , ultraconservate , national conservative , or populist . Its style of governance has been widely described as illiberal , autocratic , as well as authoritarian . Additionally, allegations of democratic backsliding are common. Its foreign policy
5780-448: The opposition. In December 2023, the EU granted Georgia candidate status and it first and foremost congratulated the Georgian people instead of the government. Nevertheless, the Georgian Dream government had only fulfilled 3 out of the 12 priorities it got from the EU to earn the candidate status. On 30 December 2023 Ivanishvili declared his return to politics. A month later, Garibashvili announced his resignation as Prime Minister, citing
5865-460: The parliamentary wing of the party became strained as he was critical of what he saw as Georgian Dream's consolidation of power. He was the first president in Georgia's history not to seek reelection for a second term. Prime Minister Garibashvili was succeeded in December 2015 by Giorgi Kvirikashvili , whose government focused on economic growth as well as strengthening relations with the West. The European Commission recommended visa-free travel for
5950-482: The partial electoral amendments, the protests did not stop. On 2 September 2019, Bakhtadze resigned from his position as prime minister. In a letter he published on Facebook , he stated that he "decided to resign because I believe I have fulfilled my mission at this point". Ivanishvili personally nominated Gakharia as his replacement, praising him for his ability to manage crises. The opposition boycotted Gakharia's confirmation vote. Prime Minister Gakharia presided over
6035-505: The party has always been its alleged anti-Western and pro-Russia foreign policy, which the party fiercely denies. It has also been accused of vote-bribing, democratic backsliding , authoritarianism and autocratic governance. Georgian Dream has passed legislation considered by the United States and European Union to contradict the country's EU and NATO candidacy commitments. In June 2024 United States sanctioned Georgian Dream officials for " undermining democracy ". According to
6120-727: The party itself, it plans to make Georgia part of the EU while "playing by Georgian rules". Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine , Georgian Dream has supported anti-Western narratives, including claims about a " Global War Party " attempting to embroil Georgia in war against Russia. By 2011, the United National Movement government led by the President Mikheil Saakashvili had become increasingly unpopular during its rule since 2004 for its neoliberal economic policy, extremely punitive criminal justice system and confrontational approach to Russia. The violent dispersal of 2007 and 2011 demonstrations, scandals such as
6205-476: The party was inspired by a rap song of Ivanishvili's son Bera . On 21 February 2012, Ivanishvili announced the formation of a coalition centered around his party, together with Republican Party of Georgia , Our Georgia – Free Democrats , and National Forum , pledging to increase welfare spending and to pursue a more pragmatic approach with Russia while maintaining a pro-Western and pro-NATO foreign policy. In subsequent months, two other opposition parties joined
6290-422: The party, serves as its honorary chairman. The party was established on 19 April 2012 by billionaire businessman and oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. It won the general election in the same year, being part of an eclectic coalition also called Georgian Dream , which included both pro-Western liberal and anti-NATO nationalist parties. Subsequently, the Georgian Dream party (independent of its coalition) won
6375-641: The political party due to his being stripped of Georgian citizenship. Kobakhidze held this post until February 2013. The GDDG won a parliamentary plurality in the October 1, 2012 election , resulting in Kobakhidze being elected for the Sachkhere District . On October 21, 2012, she was elected to become First Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia. During the 2016 Georgian parliamentary election , Kobakhidze
6460-466: The pressure from the public and announced on 2 March 2022 to apply for EU membership, citing "the changed situation in the world". The relations with the EU soon deteriorated, a process that had already started when Garibashvili returned as Prime Minister in 2021. On 9 June 2022, the European Parliament adopted a six-page resolution that accused the government of Georgia of eroding press freedom in
6545-489: The promise was short-lived as Georgian Dream reintroduced and passed the 'foreign agent' bill in the spring of 2024. The step triggered the largest protests in Georgia's post-independence history as well as widespread condemnation from Western officials, with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen writing "the law on foreign influence transparency goes against core principles & values of
6630-406: The protest was legitimate, but the situation was exploited by the opposition parties to storm the parliament building, thus the police measures were necessary to prevent a coup . The protests continued for months, demanding electoral reforms, snap elections, and resignations from the ruling party. Despite some concessions from Georgian Dream, such as the resignation of the chairman of parliament and
6715-511: The reason for his resignation. He was succeeded by a political newcomer Mamuka Bakhtadze . In August 2018, the Chairman of the Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the party would not nominate a candidate for the 2018 presidential elections . Instead, it would endorse the independent candidate Salome Zourabichvili . After a stronger than expected performance from the opposition in the first round, Ivanishvili put together
6800-467: The shadow and lead the political opposition against Saakashvili by uniting the opposition, mobilizing popular support and subsequently capitalizing on the public discontent. In December 2011, Ivanishvili launched the Georgian Dream movement as a platform for his political activities and staged several mass demonstrations against the Saakashvili government. Four months later, on 21 April 2012, Georgian Dream
6885-471: The system of violence and torture ". The party has compared the process to the Nuremberg trials . Analysts have warned that, if implemented, this move would mark "the end of Georgia's democracy". Despite positioning itself as a centre-left party, Georgian Dream has governed amorphously and lacks a clear ideology like many parties of power . Georgian Dream was initially considered a ' big tent ' party, based on
6970-438: The term includes United National Movement, Strategy Agmashenebeli , European Georgia , Ahali , Girchi – More Freedom , Droa , Lelo for Georgia , For the People , Citizens , Freedom Square , and For Georgia . Georgian Dream justifies the ban by accusing the parties of collaborating with UNM, which GD considers to have committed crimes during its rule, such as "dragging country in the 2008 war with Russia " and instituting "
7055-685: The use of excessive and disproportionate force when dispersing protests. Riot police has been accused of consistent use of violence and torture against protestors as well as opposition political figures, including UNM Chair Levan Khabeishvili as well as the Citizens chair Aleko Elisashvili . Even though the law enforcement has claimed to have opened a case into the claims of the use of excessive force, no police officer has been charged yet. Furthermore, Prime Minister Kobakhidze has thanked Georgian police for handling protests with "higher standards" than in Europe or
7140-541: Was denounced as a "Russian law" by the Georgian opposition and civil society. The proposed law was also criticized by the US State Department, the United Nations , and the European Union as it would stigmatize civil society and independent media organizations. Major protests in March 2023 after forced Georgian Dream to pull its hands from the bill, promising they would not attempt to revive the legislation. However,
7225-491: Was launched as a political party. Since Ivanishvili was not a Georgian citizen at the moment of the party's inaugural session, lawyer Manana Kobakhidze was elected as an interim, nominal chairman of the party. The party also included several notable people such as the politician Sozar Subari , former diplomat Tedo Japaridze , chess grandmaster Zurab Azmaiparashvili , writer Guram Odisharia and famed footballer Kakha Kaladze , which helped it consolidate support. The name of
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