Georgian Dream

For the political coalition with the same name that existed from 2012 to 2016, see Georgian Dream (political coalition).
Georgian Dream –
Democratic Georgia
ქართული ოცნება –
დემოკრატიული საქართველო
ChairmanIrakli Garibashvili
Secretary-GeneralKakha Kaladze
Honorary ChairmanBidzina Ivanishvili
Executive SecretaryMamuka Mdinaradze
Political SecretaryIrakli Kobakhidze
Regional SecretaryDimitri Samkharadze
Relations with Political Parties SecretaryGia Volski
FounderBidzina Ivanishvili
Founded21 April 2012[1]
Registered7 May 2012[2]
Ideology
Political positionSyncretic[26][A]
National affiliationGeorgian Dream (coalition) (until 2016)
European affiliationParty of European Socialists (observer) (2015–2023)[29]
International affiliationProgressive Alliance
(until 2023)
Colors  Blue and   Amber
Sloganმხოლოდ მშვიდობით, ღირსებითა და კეთილდღეობით ევროპისკენ ('Only with peace, dignity, and prosperity to Europe')[30][31]
Seats In Parliament
83 / 150
Municipal Councilors
1,333 / 2,068
Seats In Supreme Council of Adjara
14 / 21
Seats In Tbilisi City Assembly
29 / 50
Seats In Kutaisi City Assembly
18 / 35
Seats In Batumi City Assembly
16 / 35
Municipal Mayors
63 / 64
Party flag
Website
gd.ge
^ A: The party has been variously described as centre-left,[32] fiscally centre-left but socially conservative,[33] nominally centre-left,[34] centre to centre-left,[35] and social democratic.[35][36] Some observers have also accused it of adopting some far-right ideas.[37]

Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD),[a] also colloquially known as the Kotsebi,[b] is a 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 the party, serves as its honorary chairman.

The party was established on 19 April 2012 by billionaire businessman and oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili.[38] 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.[39] Subsequently, the Georgian Dream party (independent of its coalition) won the general elections of 2016, 2020 and 2024.[40]

Georgian Dream originally declared itself and was described as a centre-left pro-European party, pursuing Euro-Atlantic integration.[41] However, over time it transformed into an explicitly culturally conservative illiberal Eurosceptic party. The main criticism of 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.[c] It is today described as combining ideas of left and right,[42] despite remaining to the left on fiscal matters.[45]

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".[46] According to the party itself, it plans to make Georgia part of the EU while "playing by Georgian rules".[d]

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.[53]

  1. ^ Kartozia, Marika (13 January 2021). "Ivanishvili recollects his entry into politics". First Channel. Ivanishvili founded the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party on 21 April 2012.
  2. ^ "პოლიტიკური პარტიების რეესტრი". National Agency of Public Registry of Ministry of Justice of Georgia.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference techno was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Nino Samkharadze (1 June 2023). "Georgian Dream's Populist Conservatism: Fight to Legitimise and Hold On to Power". Georgian Institute of Politics.
  5. ^ Joshua KuceraJoshua Kucera (10 June 2024). "Interview: Georgian Dream 'Likely' To Try To Steal Election, But Its Support Is Deeper Than Many Think". Radio Free Europe.
  6. ^ "Georgia's EU bid is being sabotaged by its own government, Brussels fears". Politico. 12 April 2024.
  7. ^ a b Bidzina Lebanidze (11 March 2019). "Rise of Nationalist Populism in Georgia: Implications for European Integration". Georgian Institute of Politics.
  8. ^ Ani Chkhikvadze (7 May 2024). "How Georgia Sided With Its Enemy". Foreign Policy.
  9. ^ "The dangerous illusion of the Georgian Dream's "multi-vectoral" foreign policy". Global News. 27 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b Tamta Mikeladze (21 July 2023). "The erosion of democracy or the pivoting of foreign policy?". Ostwest Monitoring.
  11. ^ "The government's populism regarding the Pride is unconstitutional and antisocial". Social Justice Center. 5 July 2021.
  12. ^ a b Natalie Sabanadze (17 May 2023). "Who Is Afraid of Georgian Democracy?". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
  13. ^ [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
  14. ^ a b c "Georgia – Parties, Parliaments and Polling Averages". Europe Elects.
  15. ^ "Georgian Dream's Conservative Drift Now Targets Schools". Civil Georgia. 14 December 2023.
  16. ^ "DRI: Homophobia and Anti-Gender Rhetoric Integral to Georgian Dream's Ultra-Conservative Turn". Civil Georgia. 4 July 2024.
  17. ^ Emil Avdaliani (10 June 2024). "The Rise of Socially Conservative Georgia". Center for European Policy Analysis.
  18. ^ Stefano Arroque (16 October 2023). "Crossroads and icons". Eurasia Magazine.
  19. ^ [4][7][10][12][14][15][16][17][18]
  20. ^ Sabaleuskaya, Kseniya (11 May 2024). "New Prime Minister of Georgia. Can we expect some changes?". Brussels Morning Newspaper. He is a founder of the "Georgian Dream- Democratic Georgia" party, which is staying for social democracy, social market economy, and social conservatism, however, its politics is different from Mikheil Saakashvili's "United National Movement" party.
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference seek was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference gfsis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference avoid was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ Natalie Sabanadze (29 October 2024). "As the ruling party claims victory in Georgia's disputed election, Western condemnation is no longer enough". Chatham House.
  25. ^ [14][21][22][23][24]
  26. ^ "More Than a Techno Club: Bassiani as a Political Frontier of Georgia – Berkeley Political Review". 14 February 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  27. ^ Cite error: The named reference pes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  28. ^ "GD Says it Departs PES Due to Ideological Differences". Civil Georgia. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  29. ^ [27][28]
  30. ^ ""ქართული ოცნების" წინასაარჩევნო კამპანია ბიძინა ივანიშვილმა "გლობალური ომის პარტიის" კონსპირაციაზე საუბრით გახსნა". Civil Georgia. 17 July 2024.
  31. ^ "Mamuka Mdinaradze: Let's ensure that the risk of war is reduced to zero under the conditions of our government – only to Europe with dignity, dignity and prosperity – this is our slogan, motto and the path we should follow". Interpressnews. 14 September 2024.
  32. ^ Fahlman, Fredrik (2 April 2024). "For EU-hopeful Georgians, this year's most decisive election is in October". The Parliament Magazine. And with a five per cent threshold to enter parliament, the dozen smaller parties opposing the government are likely to be left out of the legislature, leaving only one party – the centre-right United National Movement – to stand against the centre-left Georgian Dream.
  33. ^ ESI Team (30 May 2024). "Georgia's 'Foreign Agents' Law: Explained". Eurasia Strategy Insights. Whilst fiscally centre-left, Georgian Dream campaigned on a socially conservative platform, aiming to preserve Georgian traditions and religious culture as opposed to submitting to the liberal behemoth of the EU.
  34. ^ Martin, Liam (1 August 2024). "Whither Europe? Illiberalism in Georgia and the dilemma of Eastern Enlargement". Young Security Conference. As the relationship between Georgian Dream (still nominally a centre-left party) and its partners in the Party of European Socialists has largely ended through its exit from the parliamentary bloc, GD could still count on Orbán's Hungary to advocate for the country's candidacy into the EU.
  35. ^ a b Urushadze, Maia; Kiknadze, Tamar (4 July 2021). "The Relevance of the Actual Values of the Political Actors of Georgia with the Ideologies Declared by Them" (PDF). Social Sciences in the 21st Century. 3. Oxford: 69. ... and the ruling party "Georgian Dream" (Pro-Europeanism, Social democracy, Third Way, Social liberalism, Conservatism, political position: Centre to Centre-left).
  36. ^ Reguly, Eric (21 March 2022). "Georgia fears becoming the next victim of Putin's apparent effort to recreate the Soviet empire". The Globe and Mail. Georgia's government, led by Irakli Garibashvili of the social democratic Georgian Dream party, is being exceedingly careful on the geopolitical and military files for fear of provoking a fight with Russia.
  37. ^ Benakis, Theodoros (15 May 2024). "'Foreign Agent' bill and Tax Code reform compromise Georgia's freedoms". European Interest. Founded by the oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, a friend of Putin, the Georgian Dream lacks a clear ideology. Despite being labelled by some European media as a "centre-left" party, its leadership has adopted far-right ideas.
  38. ^ "Bidzina Ivanishvili: Georgia's billionaire 'puppet master' betting the house on Moscow". BBC. 16 May 2024.
  39. ^ "Georgian Dream Coalition: Fragile Unity". The Jamestown. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  40. ^ "Among the 5 parties that passed the threshold, 148 mandates were distributed with the so-called real votes, and 2 undistributed mandates were shared by "Georgian Dream" with the best result and Gvaramia-Melia coalition". Interpressnews. 29 October 2024.
  41. ^ "Bidzina Ivanishvili, foreign agent?". Voxeurop.
  42. ^ "More Than a Techno Club: Bassiani as a Political Frontier of Georgia – Berkeley Political Review". 14 February 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  43. ^ Cite error: The named reference gip2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  44. ^ Cite error: The named reference centre-left was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  45. ^ [14][43][44]
  46. ^ Cite error: The named reference announcement was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  47. ^ "Freemasons and 'global war party' conspiring against Georgia, ruling party claims". Politico. 19 May 2024.
  48. ^ "Georgian Dream Takes On The 'Global War Party'". Radio Free Europe RFE/RL. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  49. ^ Gabritchidze, Nini (31 August 2022). "The four horsemen of Georgia's anti-Western conspiracy". Eurasianet.
  50. ^ Shoshiashvili, Katie (31 May 2024). "Georgia's ruling party intensifies disinformation tactics amid 'foreign agent' law standoff". Euractiv.
  51. ^ Shoshiashvili, Tata (30 April 2024). "Ivanishvili touts conspiracy theories at massive pro-government rally in Tbilisi". OC Media.
  52. ^ "Ivanishvili Launches GD Campaign with "Global Party of War" Conspiracy as its Pivot". Civil Georgia. 16 July 2024.
  53. ^ [47][48][49][50][51][52]


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