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Irakli Kobakhidze

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Irakli Kobakhidze
ირაკლი კობახიძე
Kobakhidze in 2024
16th Prime Minister of Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 February 2024
PresidentSalome Zourabichvili
Deputy
Preceded byIrakli Garibashvili
Chairman of Georgian Dream
In office
11 January 2021 – 1 February 2024
Preceded byBidzina Ivanishvili
Succeeded byIrakli Garibashvili
Political Secretary of Georgian Dream
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 February 2024
Preceded byIrakli Garibashvili
Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia
In office
18 November 2016 – 21 June 2019
President
Prime Minister
Preceded byDavit Usupashvili
Succeeded by
Leader of the Parliamentary Majority
In office
11 December 2020 – 8 February 2024
Preceded byMamuka Mdinaradze
Succeeded byMamuka Mdinaradze
Member of the Parliament of Georgia
In office
18 November 2016 – 8 February 2024
Executive Secretary of Georgian Dream
In office
January 2015 – 11 January 2021
Succeeded byMamuka Mdinaradze
Personal details
Born (1978-09-25) 25 September 1978 (age 46)
Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union
Political partyGeorgian Dream
SpouseNatalia Motsonelidze
Children2
Alma mater
Signature

Irakli Kobakhidze (Georgian: ირაკლი კობახიძე; born 25 September 1978) is a Georgian politician who is serving as the 16th prime minister of Georgia since February 2024.

He has previously served as a member of the Georgian Parliament from 2016 to 2024, chairman of the Parliament of Georgia from 2016 to 2019, as vice-president of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 2020 to 2022 and held the post of chairman of Georgian Dream party from 2021 to 2024.[1] Prior to joining politics, he was a professor at the Tbilisi State University[2] and also worked for Western-funded non-governmental organizations.

Kobakhidze is one of the main propagators of the Global War Party conspiracy theory. His government accelerated the deterioration of relations with the West and has been accused of internationally sabotaging Georgia’s EU membership bid.[3][4] The United States announced sanctions against Kobakhidze, members of his government, and the members of the Georgian Dream party for "undermining democracy in Georgia."[5] His rhetoric has been widely described as anti-Western, with him accusing the West of pushing Georgia into "opening a second front" and joining the Russo-Ukrainian War on numerous occasions.[6][7][time needed][8]

Early life

Irakli Kobakhidze was born on 25 September 1978 in Tbilisi.[9] His father, Giorgi (Gia) Kobakhidze, was a member of the Parliament in the third and fourth legislature, becoming its vice-president, for the National Democratic Party, and was also member of the Democratic Movement – United Georgia until 2015.[10] Irakli graduated from the Law Faculty of Tbilisi State University in 2000.[9] Later, from 2002 to 2006, he advanced his legal education at the University of Düsseldorf, Germany, where he was awarded a master's degree in law and a PhD in 2006.[9][10][11]

Between 2000 and 2001 he was the regional coordinator of the public education project of the United States Agency for International Development and, between 2006 and 2014, as a project expert and project manager at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).[10] Between 2005 and 2012 Kobakhidze was assistant professor at the Tbilisi State University and associate professor of the Caucasus University between 2011 and 2014.[1][9][10] He was also a member of the "Open Society-Georgia Foundation"' committee of experts of the human rights and rule of law program and member of the Georgian delegation to the Council of Europe between 2011 and 2012.[9] Since 2014 he has been an associate professor at Tbilisi State University.[9]

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)

Kobakhidze meeting with the Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in 2018.

On 18 November 2016, Kobakhidze was appointed as the 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 2019 Georgian protests.[23] He was succeeded by Archil Talakvadze.[24] Kobakhidze continued to serve as a member of parliament.[1]

2020 election and the chairmanship of Georgian Dream (2019–2024)

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 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and played an important role in how the party responded to the conflict. He expressed support for Ukraine and condemned Russia's actions, however, the relationship soon soured between the two countries. Between February and July 2022, Kobakhidze made 9 comments critical of Russia but a total of 26 hostile remarks about Ukraine and a further 57 about the West.[27] The main hostility stemmed from the fact that Secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov stated that Georgia would "greatly help" Ukraine by "opening a second front" against Russia.[28] Kobakhidze criticized Ukrainian officials for pursuing their own interests at the expense of Georgia, saying that "opening a second front" would alleviate Ukraine's situation, but bring suffering and destruction to Georgia as Russia's army is considerably stronger and well equipped compared to Georgia's. Kobakhidze said that Georgia had the military means to "make the situation worse for Russia", but doing so would "come at the cost of destroying Georgia".[29][30] Kobakhidze later elaborated that there was a coordinated effort by the "global war party" to drag Georgia into the war.[31]

Kobakhidze (left) celebrating Georgia receiving EU candidate status, 15 December 2023

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)

See also: Kobakhidze government

In early February of 2024, Kobakhidze and Irakli Garibashvili switched posts, with Garibashvili becoming the chairman 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 retained the same cabinet as his predecessor, but he appointed a new minister of defense.[38]

Protest held in Tbilisi against the "foreign agent" bill reintroduced by the Kobakhidze government

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.[39][40] Legislation passed by his government, particularly the (June 2024 passed) "foreign agents" bill which is intended to curb western influence in the country,[40] has been widely condemned for being incompatible with the country's Euro-Atlantic aspirations.[41][42][43] Some analysts claimed the "foreign agents" bill may not be necessarily aimed against European integration, but rather to bargain with EU.[44]

On 23 May 2024, Kobakhidze expanded the "Global War Party" conspiracy theory, and accused it of being responsible for the attempted assassination of Robert Fico.[45] He also accused the Hungarian EU commissioner Olivér Várhelyi of threatening his life.[46] He later elaborated:

"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 also stated his desire for an investigation into the alleged death threat.[47]

The 26 October 2024 Georgian parliamentary election was won by Georgian Dream amid allegations of fraud.[48] The conduct of the election was met with European and western condemnation.[48]

On 28 November 2024, Kobakhidze suspended Georgia's accession process to the European Union until 2028, accusing politicians in Europe and the European Parliament of engaging in "blackmail".[48] Georgia would also refuse any budgetary grant from the EU until the end of 2028.[49] According to Kobakhidze Georgia would continue to implement the reforms required for EU membership and that it still planned for Georgia to join the EU by 2030.[50] He claimed “by 2028, Georgia will be more prepared than any other candidate country to open accession talks with Brussels and become a member state in 2030.”[48]

Political positions

Kobakhidze has made claims that the West is trying to push Georgia into the Russo-Ukrainian War and open a "second front" of war on the Georgian territory; his rhetoric has been described as "anti-European" and "anti-American".[6][7][8] In February 2024, when the State Security Service of Georgia announced discovery of Ukrainian explosives on Georgian territory, Kobakhidze repeated his claims that Georgia is being dragged into war: "This once again confirms what, in principle, the high-ranking officials of the Ukrainian government openly said that they wanted and probably still want: a second front in our country".[51]

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.[52]

Personal life

Kobakhidze is married to Natalia Motsonelidze, with whom he has two children.[11]

Besides Georgian, Kobakhidze speaks English, German and Russian.[11]

Awards

Works

  • "Law of Political Unions" (2008)[10]
  • "Constitutional Law" (2019)[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Georgian Dream – Irakli Kobakhidze". Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ Avdaliani, Emil (30 May 2024). "Georgia and the West on Collision Course". CEPA.
  4. ^ "Georgia's EU bid is being sabotaged by its own government, Brussels fears". Politico. 12 April 2024.
  5. ^ "BREAKING: US State Department Implements First Tranche of Sanctions against Georgian Individuals". Civil.ge. 6 June 2024.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b Kobakhidze's anti-Western rhetoric and the Nagorno-Karabakh clashes Archived 3 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine, OC Media
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "ირაკლი კობახიძე". Parliament of Georgia. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ "ირაკლი კობახიძე პარლამენტის თავმჯდომარედ აირჩიეს". Tabula. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Irakli Kobakhidze Leader of the Parliamentary Majority". civil.ge. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine Inaugurate Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Tbilisi". Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Georgian-Polish parliament speakers sign cooperation deal". Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  17. ^ საქართველოს პარლამენტს, პოლონეთის სეიმსა და სენატს შორის სტრატეგიული თანამშრომლობის შეთანხმება გაფორმდა Archived 20 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
  18. ^ საქართველოს პარლამენტსა და ლატვიის სეიმს შორის მემორანდუმი გაფორმდა Archived 11 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
  19. ^ საქართველოს პარლამენტსა და უზბეკეთის რესპუბლიკის ოლიი მაჯლისს შორის საპარლამენტთაშორისო თანამშრომლობის მემორანდუმი გაფორმდა Archived 11 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
  20. ^ საქართველოსა და სერბეთის პარლამენტებს შორის ხელშეკრულება გაფორმდა Archived 20 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
  21. ^ "პარლამენტის პლენარულ სხდომათა დარბაზს ზვიად გამსახურდიას სახელი მიენიჭა". Tabula. 16 April 2019. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  22. ^ "New Constitution Enters into Force". Civil.ge. 17 December 2018.
  23. ^ "Georgian Parliament Speaker resigns amid last night's protest around Russian MPs". Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Chairman of the Parliament – Biography". Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  25. ^ ირაკლი კობახიძე Archived 18 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ "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.
  29. ^ "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.
  30. ^ "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.
  31. ^ "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.
  32. ^ "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.
  33. ^ "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.
  34. ^ Krikorian, Onnik (19 December 2023). "Georgia celebrates EU candidate status". Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa.
  35. ^ "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.
  36. ^ "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.
  37. ^ "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.
  38. ^ "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.
  39. ^ "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.
  40. ^ 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.
  41. ^ "NATO warned Georgia that the law on "foreign agents" is incompatible with the course for membership". ABN Correspondence. 15 May 2024.
  42. ^ "Georgia's "transparency of foreign influence" law incompatible with democratic standards and human rights law: international human rights office ODIHR". OSCE. 30 May 2024.
  43. ^ Tabatadze, Tamar (24 May 2024). "EU's Borrell: Georgia's 'Foreign Agents' Law incompatible with European aspirations". 1 tv.
  44. ^ Atasuntsev, Alexander (7 May 2023). "Is Georgia's Ruling Party Really Pro-Russian?". The Moscow Times.
  45. ^ კობახიძე: სლოვაკეთის პრემიერზე თავდასხმის უკან გლობალური ომის პარტია დგას
  46. ^ Gavin, Gabriel (23 May 2024). "EU commissioner denies he threatened Georgia's prime minister". Politico.
  47. ^ "კობახიძე: თუ რომელიმე ქვეყანას დააინტერესებს ინფორმაცია მუქარაზე, რომელშიც ფიცოს გვარი გაჟღერდა, მზად ვარ, გამოძიებას მივცე ინფორმაცია". Publika. 5 June 2024.
  48. ^ a b c d "Georgia to suspend EU accession talks until 2028". Al Jazeera. 29 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  49. ^ "Georgia protesters clash with police after PM suspends EU membership talks". Al Jazeera. 29 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  50. ^ Thomas Mackintosh (29 November 2024). "Protesters clash with police after Georgia shelves EU bid". BBC News. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  51. ^ Georgia accuses Ukraine of trying to spread war after explosives found at border, Reuters: February 6, 2024
  52. ^ "No one will wait for the Maidan in Georgia: Kobakhidze made a loud statement and cynically remembered Ukraine". unn.ua.
  53. ^ პარლამენტი: კობახიძეს ბელარუსის უნივერსიტეტის საპატიო პროფესორის წოდება მიენიჭა Archived 19 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in Georgian)
  54. ^ "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.
  55. ^ 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.
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