40 Facts About Irakli Kobakhidze

Irakli Kobakhidze is a Georgian politician who holds the position of the 16th prime minister of Georgia since February 2024.

Irakli Kobakhidze 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.

Irakli Kobakhidze's government accelerated the deterioration of relations with the West and has been accused of internationally sabotaging Georgia's EU membership bid.

Irakli Kobakhidze's 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.

Irakli Kobakhidze is a largely nominal figurehead of the Georgian government and is ultimately accountable to Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire oligarch who is widely recognized as the de facto ruler of Georgia.

Irakli Kobakhidze was born on 25 September 1978 in Tbilisi.

Irakli Kobakhidze graduated from the Law Faculty of Tbilisi State University in 2000.

Between 2005 and 2012 Irakli Kobakhidze was assistant professor at the Tbilisi State University and associate professor of the Caucasus University between 2011 and 2014.

Irakli Kobakhidze was 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.

In 2015, Irakli Kobakhidze was appointed as Executive Secretary of Georgia's ruling party Georgian Dream, alongside Secretary General Kakha Kaladze.

In 2016, Irakli Kobakhidze was himself elected to the Georgian Parliament by party list.

On 18 November 2016, Irakli Kobakhidze was appointed as the chairman of the Parliament of Georgia with 118 votes in favour and 3 against.

Irakli Kobakhidze made the decision to resign from the chairmanship in the aftermath of the 2019 Georgian protests.

Irakli Kobakhidze's chairmanship coincided with the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and played an important role in how the party responded to the conflict.

Irakli Kobakhidze expressed support for Ukraine and condemned Russia's actions the relationship soon soured between the two countries.

Between February and July 2022, Irakli Kobakhidze made 9 comments critical of Russia but a total of 26 hostile remarks about Ukraine and a further 57 about the West.

Irakli 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.

Irakli 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".

Irakli Kobakhidze later elaborated that there was a coordinated effort by the "Global War Party" to drag Georgia into the war.

Irakli Kobakhidze criticized these actions and said that they were influenced by the "Global War Party".

Irakli Kobakhidze 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".

In early February 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.

Irakli Kobakhidze outlined the government's priorities as ending the Russian occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and the elimination of poverty.

Irakli Kobakhidze retained the same cabinet as his predecessor, but he appointed a new minister of defense.

On 23 May 2024, Irakli Kobakhidze expanded the "Global War Party" conspiracy theory, and accused it of being responsible for the attempted assassination of Robert Fico.

Irakli Kobakhidze accused the Hungarian EU commissioner Oliver Varhelyi of threatening his life.

Irakli Kobakhidze stated his desire for an investigation into the alleged death threat.

On 28 November 2024, Irakli Kobakhidze suspended Georgia's accession process to the European Union until 2028, accusing politicians in Europe and the European Parliament of engaging in "blackmail".

Irakli Kobakhidze attributed the desire to push Georgia into the war with Russia to the specific groups in the USA and the EU rather than the USA and EU in general, saying that the "relations will be reset" with the victory of Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election.

Irakli Kobakhidze supported "Donald Trump's goal of defeating the deep state", saying that it would positively affect the Georgia's interests.

Irakli Kobakhidze used the "Global War Party" interchangeably with the "Deep State", accusing it of instigating the conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and Syria.

Irakli Kobakhidze used this as opportunity to repeat his allegation that Georgia is being dragged into war: "This 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".

Irakli Kobakhidze said that the "certain influential forces imagine the European Union as a unity of non-sovereign, weak states, devoided of identity and values in reality, the European Union can only be strong if it unites sovereign states".

Irakli Kobakhidze emphasized on defending Georgia's traditional values, morality, church and faith during the European integration, remarking that "Georgia has the complete right to request that the European Union respect its sovereignty and values before entering our home".

Irakli Kobakhidze has characterized the Euromaidan as a negative event, saying that the Ukraine's economic collapse, loss of territory, and other negative events directly resulted from the Euromaidan.

Similarly, Irakli Kobakhidze condemned Georgia's Rose Revolution, saying that it resulted in the widespread torture, decline of the media freedom, economic liberty, and the loss of territories.

Irakli Kobakhidze represented Georgia on the Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary in April 2024.

Irakli Kobakhidze warned that if the mass migration continued in the European countries, the local population would soon become a minority.

However, the Irakli Kobakhidze's speech came amidst the growing right-wing turn of the Georgian Dream, deteriorating relations with the West, and strengthening of ties with Hungary.

Irakli Kobakhidze is married to Natalia Motsonelidze, with whom he has two children.