Bidzina Ivanishvili is stepping out of the shadows once again. On October 17, the honorary chairman of Georgian Dream intends to attend a meeting of the parliamentary majority. His presence was announced in advance by Levan Machavariani, a lawmaker from the ruling party. This comes at a time when Georgian politics is experiencing yet another spike in tensions.
The Constitutional Court is preparing to consider banning opposition parties. Meanwhile, the opposition has announced a new wave of protests under the slogan “Georgia Without Ivanishvili.” Pro-European demonstrations continue on the streets of Tbilisi, as relations with the West remain mired in deep crisis.
Economic risks are now compounding the political crisis. Russia is once again imposing restrictions on Georgian imports—ranging from wine and mineral water to soft drinks. The official justification is failure to comply with sanitary standards. Yet, against the backdrop of the government’s policy of rapprochement with Moscow, the question arises: just how reliable a partner has Russia proved to be, and is Georgia’s economic dependence turning into another instrument of political leverage?
It is precisely against this backdrop that Ivanishvili is set to appear before the parliamentary majority.
Why now? Does Georgian Dream require the personal intervention of its founder? What signals does he intend to send to his own team, to the opposition, and to international partners? And above all—what political decisions might follow this meeting?
The guest on [Ardashelia-Live] is Valeri Chechelashvili, board member of “Georgia First.”
