Irakli Kobakhidze
Irakli Kobakhidze | |
---|---|
ირაკლი კობახიძე | |
Davit Usupashvili | |
Succeeded by |
|
Leader of the Parliamentary Majority | |
In office 11 December 2020 – 8 February 2024 | |
Preceded by | Mamuka Mdinaradze |
Succeeded by | Mamuka Mdinaradze |
Member of the Parliament of Georgia | |
In office 18 November 2016 – 8 February 2024 | |
Political Secretary of Georgian Dream | |
Assumed office 1 February 2024 | |
Preceded by | Irakli Garibashvili |
Executive Secretary of Georgian Dream | |
In office January 2015 – 11 January 2021 | |
Succeeded by | Mamuka Mdinaradze |
Personal details | |
Born | University of Düsseldorf | 25 September 1978
Signature | |
Irakli Kobakhidze (Georgian: ირაკლი კობახიძე; born 25 September 1978) is a Georgian constitutional scholar and politician who is serving as the 16th Prime Minister of Georgia since February 2024.
He has previously served as a Member of the
Early life and studies
Irakli Kobakhidze was born on 25 September 1978 in
Between 2000 and 2001 he was the regional coordinator of the public education project of the
Political career
Early Political Career (2015-2016)
In 2015, Kobakhidze was appointed as Executive Secretary of Georgia's ruling party Georgian Dream, alongside Secretary General Kakha Kaladze.[9][11] As the deputy campaign manager for the 2016 parliamentary election, and the campaign manager for the 2017 local elections, he played an important role in the party's landslide victories.[10][12] In 2016, Kobakhidze was himself elected to the Georgian Parliament by party list.[10]
Chairman of Parliament (2016–2019)
On 18 November 2016, Kobakhidze was appointed as Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia with 118 votes in favour and 3 against.[13][14] Under his tenure, Inter-Parliamentary Assemblies between Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova and Georgia and Poland were established.[15][16] In addition, strategic cooperation agreements were signed with a number of the Parliaments of the partner countries such as the Poland,[17] Latvia,[18] Uzbekistan[19] and Serbia.[20] On his initiative, the plenary session room of the Parliament was given the name of the first democratically elected president of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia.[21]
Utilizing the supermajority Georgian Dream now possessed, the parliament under Kobakidze's leadership made grand amendments to the constitution. Changes include making the country a parliamentary republic, transferring the electoral system to a fully proportional one by 2024, abolishing direct presidential elections, and extending the term of the president from 5 to 6 years.[22]
Kobakhidze made the decision to resign from the chairmanship in the aftermath of the
2020 election and the Chairmanship of Georgian Dream (2019-2024)
Irakli Kobakhidze was reelected in the 2020 parliamentary election.[25] On 11 January 2021, he was chosen the new chairman of the Georgian Dream.[26]
Kobakhidze's Chairmanship coincided with the
In June 2022, the European Parliament passed several resolutions against the Georgian government and refused to grant Georgia candidate status. Kobakhidze criticized these actions and said that they were influenced by the "Global War Party".[32] He added that Georgia would not deviate from its path towards EU membership and that it would continue the process of EU integration, while calling the US and EU to "distance themselves from calls for Georgia to engage in war".[33] After much delay, in December 2023, Georgia was finally granted EU candidate status. Kobakhidze attributed the achievement to the Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, who, in his words, “laid the foundation” to replace “Soviet-style authoritarianism” with “European-style democratic and fair governance”.[34]
Prime Minister of Georgia (2024–present)
In early February of 2024, Irakli Kobakhidze and Irakli Garibashvili switched posts, with Garibashvili becoming Chairmanship of Georgian Dream and Kobakhidze being confirmed as the Prime Minister on 8 February.[35][36] He outlined the government's priorities as ending the Russian occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and the elimination of poverty.[37] Kobakhidze's kept the Prime Minister's cabinet the same and only swapped the Minister of Defense.[38]
Although Kobakhidze's first official trip as Prime Minister was held in Brussels on 20-21 February, his term has seen significantly deteriorating relations with the West.
On 23 May 2024, Kobakhidze expanded the "Global War Party" conspiracy theory and accused it of being responsible for the
"However, even in the face of prolonged blackmail, the threat voiced during a telephone conversation with one of the European Commissioners was shocking. During our conversation, the European Commissioner listed a number of measures that Western politicians might take if the veto on the transparency law is overcome. While listing these measures, he mentioned, "You've seen what happened to Fico and you should be very careful."
Kobakhidze has come in favor of starting an investigation relating to the alleged death threat.[47]
Political positions
Kobakhidze has made claims that the West is trying to push Georgia into the
In May 2024, Kobakhidze emphasized the importance of safeguarding Georgia's independence in light of the lessons learned from Ukraine's experience. He highlighted the adverse effects of the Euromaidan on Ukraine, pointing out the external influence on the country's leadership and the subsequent lack of accountability for the turmoil that followed. By drawing attention to Ukraine's economic decline, territorial loss, and human casualties, Kobakhidze underscored the need for Georgia to prioritize its independence and protect its interests.[49]
Personal life
Irakli Kobakhidze is married to Natalia Motsonelidze, with whom he has two children.[11]
Besides Georgian, Kobakhidze speaks English, German and Russian.[11]
Awards
- Honoris causa from Belarusian State University (2017)[50]
- "Parliamentary Order of Freedom" (Parliament of Georgia, 2021)[51]
- "Sabino Arana prize" (Basque Nationalist Party, 2023)[52]
Works
References
- ^ a b c "Georgian Dream – Irakli Kobakhidze". Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Georgian Dream stalls parliament's investigation of US-sanctioned judges". OC Media. 20 April 2023. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ Avdaliani, Emil (30 May 2024). "Georgia and the West on Collision Course". CEPA.
- ^ "Georgia's EU bid is being sabotaged by its own government, Brussels fears". Politico. 12 April 2024.
- ^ "BREAKING: US State Department Implements First Tranche of Sanctions against Georgian Individuals". Civil.ge. 6 June 2024.
- ^ a b "The European Dream: Georgia's growing anti-European rhetoric undermines its pro-western aspirations". 10 March 2023. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ a b Kobakhidze's anti-Western rhetoric and the Nagorno-Karabakh clashes Archived 3 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine, OC Media
- ^ a b "Russian Praise and Transatlantic Criticism Underline Growing Anti-Western Sentiment Among Georgia's Elite". Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "ირაკლი კობახიძე". Parliament of Georgia. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Pertaia, Luca (30 January 2024). "ირაკლი კობახიძე: პროფესორი, მწერალი, "ენჯეოშნიკი", პოლიტიკოსი. პრემიერიც?". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d "პარლამენტის თავმჯდომარე, ევროსაბჭოს საპარლამენტო ასამბლეის ვიცე-პრეზიდენტი, პროფესორი, არაერთი სახელმძღვანელოს ავტორი – ირაკლი კობახიძის ბიოგრაფია". gmnews.ge. 1 February 2024. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Irakli Kobakhidze: The Georgian Dream Achieved a Convincing Victory, We Concluded These Elections With an 85 Percent Victory". Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "ირაკლი კობახიძე პარლამენტის თავმჯდომარედ აირჩიეს". Tabula. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- civil.ge. Archivedfrom the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine Inaugurate Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Tbilisi". Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Georgian-Polish parliament speakers sign cooperation deal". Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ საქართველოს პარლამენტს, პოლონეთის სეიმსა და სენატს შორის სტრატეგიული თანამშრომლობის შეთანხმება გაფორმდა Archived 20 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
- ^ საქართველოს პარლამენტსა და ლატვიის სეიმს შორის მემორანდუმი გაფორმდა Archived 11 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
- ^ საქართველოს პარლამენტსა და უზბეკეთის რესპუბლიკის ოლიი მაჯლისს შორის საპარლამენტთაშორისო თანამშრომლობის მემორანდუმი გაფორმდა Archived 11 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
- ^ საქართველოსა და სერბეთის პარლამენტებს შორის ხელშეკრულება გაფორმდა Archived 20 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
- ^ "პარლამენტის პლენარულ სხდომათა დარბაზს ზვიად გამსახურდიას სახელი მიენიჭა". Tabula. 16 April 2019. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "New Constitution Enters into Force". Civil.ge. 17 December 2018.
- ^ "Georgian Parliament Speaker resigns amid last night's protest around Russian MPs". Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Chairman of the Parliament – Biography". Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ ირაკლი კობახიძე Archived 18 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
- ^ Osborn, Andrew; Balmforth, Tom (11 January 2021). "Ex-Soviet Georgia's richest citizen, ruling party chief, quits politics". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ Genté, Régis (21 December 2022). "Broken Dream: The oligarch, Russia, and Georgia's drift from Europe". European Council on Foreign Relations.
Crucially, throughout the last 18 months, representatives of Georgian Dream and the government have increasingly begun to make hostile statements about their Western partners. News organisation OC Media reports that, between February and July 2022, Georgian Dream chair Irakli Kobakhidze made only nine comments critical of Russia but a total of 57 negative remarks about the West and 26 about Ukraine. Georgian Dream leaders have often presented their criticism of the US and the EU in the last year as warnings against foreign interference in Georgian domestic politics. Yet the fact that they have done so in ways seemingly designed to offend suggests that they want to push representatives of Western powers to leave Georgia.
- ^ "Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine: If Transnistria and Georgia engage in returning their territories, it will definitely help us". Interpressnews. 27 March 2022. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- ^ "Ruling party head alleges "certain representatives" of Ukrainian Gov't want to "turn Georgia into second front" of war with Russia". Agenda.ge. 8 September 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Calls for Georgia to open a "second front" against Russia fall flat". Eurasianet. 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Irakli Kobakhidze: There is a global war party that has an interest in prolonging the first front in Ukraine and opening the second front in Georgia – Georgian society must be vigilant!". Interpressnews. 31 March 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Irakli Kobakhidze: There is a "global war party", whose representatives are odious MEPs – their only goal is to provoke the processes in Georgia that are happening in Ukraine". Interpressnews. 8 November 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Ruling party head vows Gov't will "do everything" to prevent country from being "dragged into war"". Agenda.ge. 5 August 2022. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ Krikorian, Onnik (19 December 2023). "Georgia celebrates EU candidate status". Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa.
- ^ "Georgia's prime minister steps down to prepare for national elections this fall". Associated Press. 29 January 2024. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ "Georgia Parliament Approves West Sceptic As New PM". Barron's. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "Georgian parliament names new prime minister as the ruling party gears up for elections in the fall". Associated Press. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "Georgian Parliament Approves New Cabinet Led By Former Chairman Of Ruling Party". Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "კობახიძის თქმით, პრემიერის რანგში მისი პირველი ვიზიტი ბრიუსელში შედგება". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Georgian). 8 February 2024. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ a b Gavin, Gabriel (1 June 2024). "'It feels like there's no future': Georgia's clash with West leaves ordinary people on brink". Politico.
- ^ "NATO warned Georgia that the law on "foreign agents" is incompatible with the course for membership". ABN Correspondence. 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Georgia's "transparency of foreign influence" law incompatible with democratic standards and human rights law: international human rights office ODIHR". OSCE. 30 May 2024.
- ^ Tabatadze, Tamar (24 May 2024). "EU's Borrell: Georgia's 'Foreign Agents' Law incompatible with European aspirations". 1 tv.
- ^ Atasuntsev, Alexander (7 May 2023). "Is Georgia's Ruling Party Really Pro-Russian?". The Moscow Times.
- ^ კობახიძე: სლოვაკეთის პრემიერზე თავდასხმის უკან გლობალური ომის პარტია დგას
- ^ Gavin, Gabriel (23 May 2024). "EU commissioner denies he threatened Georgia's prime minister". Politico.
- ^ "კობახიძე: თუ რომელიმე ქვეყანას დააინტერესებს ინფორმაცია მუქარაზე, რომელშიც ფიცოს გვარი გაჟღერდა, მზად ვარ, გამოძიებას მივცე ინფორმაცია". Publika. 5 June 2024.
- ^ Georgia accuses Ukraine of trying to spread war after explosives found at border, Reuters: February 6, 2024
- ^ "No one will wait for the Maidan in Georgia: Kobakhidze made a loud statement and cynically remembered Ukraine". unn.ua.
- ^ პარლამენტი: კობახიძეს ბელარუსის უნივერსიტეტის საპატიო პროფესორის წოდება მიენიჭა Archived 19 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
- ^ "არჩილ თალაკვაძემ ირაკლი კობახიძე თავისუფლების საპარლამენტო ორდენით დააჯილდოვა". Radio Free. 21 February 2021. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ García, Jontxu (24 January 2023). "Irakli Kobakhidze: "A pesar de estar separados por miles de kilómetros, entre Georgia y Euskadi ha existido un sentimiento de conexión"". Deia. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
External links
- Irakli Kobakhidze on Facebook