One of the main results of the work of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is the strengthening of state institutions - against this background, talking about the establishment of a unitary government in the country is a complete lie and offensive to me. In 2012, the Georgian people saw Bidzina Ivanishvili's competence and dedication to the country and expressed their trust in him, which laid the foundation for turning points in the country, - Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated at today's briefing.

As the Head of Government noted, more than 14 years have passed since then, and this trust has been further strengthened by the fact that in these most difficult years, it was Bidzina Ivanishvili's intellect and uncompromising patriotism that enabled Georgia to overcome many of the most difficult obstacles.

“Everyone knows very well that the main target of the aggression and political attack of the country’s external enemies and their local agents is Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili. According to their claims, the country is not governed by democratic rules, but by Bidzina Ivanishvili alone. In addition, they refer to the democratically elected government as the “Ivanishvili regime,” thereby trying to portray the democracy established since 2012 as an autocracy. We heard such messages during the television debates held on Saturday and yesterday, after which I decided to express my position on this issue to the Georgian public.

First of all, it should be noted that the role of Bidzina Ivanishvili in strengthening statehood, democracy and human rights in Georgia is absolutely exceptional. I have said it several times and I would like to emphasize it once again that Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili is a grandmaster of politics and he loves his people and country. His political weight is based on these two main factors: outstanding intelligence and selfless patriotism.

It is these two qualities that enabled him in 2012 to do what everyone thought was impossible: to grandmasterly remove from power a foreign agency that had been given the green light to any violence from outside the country. At a time when there was no force in sight that would give the bloody regime of the foreign agency its rightful place, Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili, with white gloves, without any violence or insults, removed the regime from power and established democratic governance based on human rights in the country.

In 2012, the Georgian people saw Bidzina Ivanishvili’s competence and dedication to the country and expressed their trust in him, which laid the foundation for the transformational changes in the country. More than 14 years have passed since then, and this trust has been further strengthened by the fact that in these most difficult years, it was Bidzina Ivanishvili’s intellect and uncompromising patriotism that enabled Georgia to overcome many of the most difficult obstacles.

One of the most important results of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s work is the strengthening of state institutions. Against this background, the talk of the country’s external enemies and their local agents that there are no state institutions in Georgia and that a unitary government has been established in the country is a complete lie and personally offensive to me. That is why I consider it necessary to explain what the role of state institutions, on the one hand, and Bidzina Ivanishvili, on the other, is today in the process of governing the country.

First of all, it should be noted that Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili is the Honorary Chairman of the ruling party and a member of the Political Council. It is with this background that the ruling party ran in the 2024 parliamentary elections and with this background, it received solid trust from the Georgian people. Accordingly, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s role in the country’s political life is not only formalized, but is also based on direct democratic legitimacy.

The Georgian government governs the country in accordance with the constitutional authorities and powers granted to it by the Constitution of Georgia. The fact that Bidzina Ivanishvili does not interfere excessively in government activities has also been confirmed by his experience with various prime ministers. Bidzina Ivanishvili influences government decisions to the extent that this is consistent with his role as the honorary chairman of the ruling party. This means that Bidzina Ivanishvili, in essence, does not interfere in government management or personnel decisions. At the same time, as the head of the government and the second person in the ruling party, I often use his advice when it comes to issues of key importance for the country. His advice is always invaluable, and it would be wrong to refuse this opportunity, primarily in the interests of the country.

Together with Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili, a meeting of team leaders is periodically held, where key policy issues are discussed. It should also be noted that Bidzina Ivanishvili has special respect for different opinions. Accordingly, all opinions in the team are formed on the basis of open, in-depth and thorough discussions. I will also openly say that in such open, in-depth and thorough discussions, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s opinion most often wins, which is again a merit of his special competence.

Another circumstance that should be emphasized is that Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili has never used the people’s trust for his own personal interests. No one can bring a single fact that Bidzina Ivanishvili received any personal benefit from politics. There are many facts confirming that he has sacrificed his own for the interests of the country.

His attitude towards corruption is uncompromising. I would like to remind you that the last time he decided to return to politics was due to problems related to corruption. In December 2023, during his speech at the party congress, he made a clear reference to the problem of corruption, and it was his return to politics that made it possible to act quickly against corruption, which has now been completely eradicated at the highest levels of government.

There are many cases in politics when politicians take the country's good home. Bidzina Ivanishvili is a completely opposite example of this, which he has firmly proven both with his multi-billion dollar patronage activities and political charity. Everyone remembers well that, due to his principled defense of the country's interests, first de facto and then de jure sanctions were imposed on him, which also cause great inconvenience to his family. However, none of the sanctions could force either him or his family to take even one step against the interests of the country. This is another clear example of the selfless patriotism that constantly accompanies Bidzina Ivanishvili’s state activities.

Bidzina Ivanishvili is being fought by external forces and their local agents, driven by the desire to re-appropriate Georgia. They have an insatiable desire to return the country to the reality that Bidzina Ivanishvili changed in 2012. This was the rule of a foreign agency that brought total encroachment on Georgia’s democracy and human rights, business racketeering, the abolition of media freedom, war, destruction, and the occupation of 20 percent of the country’s territories.

The consequences of foreign agents rule in European countries are no less severe, where the main reason for the decline of democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and the media, the weakening of national and religious identity, and economic stagnation is precisely the loss of state sovereignty. Once exemplary European countries are currently experiencing the most difficult trends, which is precisely the result of the fact that their governments serve not their own people, but external forces. The main reason for the aggression against Bidzina Ivanishvili is precisely this - he freed the Georgian people from agentocracy and returned to them what was theirs - democracy and the right to vote.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate what I have said many times. The fact that today Georgia maintains 14 years of uninterrupted peace, the country is independent and sovereign as never before, the country has a strong democratic system and state institutions, caring for people is the main guiding principle of the state, and the Georgian economy is growing at a rapid pace is, first of all, the merit of Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Accordingly, the country will definitely continue to be governed with respect for the Constitution of Georgia and on the basis of the principles that Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili established in Georgian politics in 2012. Bidzina Ivanishvili's role in firmly upholding and strengthening these principles in Georgian politics has been, is, and will continue to be special and invaluable," Kobakhidze said.