Georgia Politics Explained, Who Holds Power in 2026

GEORGIA · POLITICS

Who Holds Power in Georgia

Georgia, a country of about 3.7 million people in the South Caucasus, is ruled by Georgian Dream, a party founded by the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. The live story is a court case to ban the five main opposition parties, which the opposition calls an attempt to end political competition.

This guide is part of The Rio Times series on European politics. See also our guides to Spain and Germany’s AfD debate.

Irakli Kobakhidze has been prime minister since February 2024, and parliament approved his new cabinet after the October 2024 election. The prime minister is head of government, while the president is a largely ceremonial head of state.

Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former footballer nominated by the ruling party, has been president since December 2024. He was chosen by an electoral college of lawmakers and local officials rather than by a popular vote.

On 7 October Kobakhidze named Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili as a deputy prime minister. Ivanishvili holds no formal government post, yet opposition parties and Western governments describe him as the real decision-maker.

Parliament and the Next Election

Parliament is a single chamber of 150 seats, and the ruling party won 89 of them on 26 October 2024. The opposition says the vote was rigged, a claim the government rejects.

Opposition lawmakers who won the other 61 seats largely boycotted the chamber. Parliament, led by Georgian Dream, then revoked the mandates of opposition lawmakers, so the chamber works largely as a one-party body.

Local elections on 4 October 2025 gave Georgian Dream about 81% of the vote nationwide, according to the Central Election Commission. Turnout was 40.93%, most opposition groups boycotted, and the party won the mayoralties of all five self-governing cities, including Tbilisi.

The next parliamentary election is due in 2028. Whether the main opposition parties can stand then depends on the court case below.

The Case to Ban Five Parties

In 2026 a group of Georgian Dream lawmakers asked the Constitutional Court to declare five opposition parties unconstitutional. The targets are the United National Movement, the party of former president Mikheil Saakashvili, and four other opposition groups: Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia–Lelo, the Federalist Party and Gakharia for Georgia, led by former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia.

The lawsuit argues the parties tried to overthrow the constitutional order, citing Article 23 of the constitution. The court opened hearings on Wednesday 21 October in the Black Sea city of Batumi.

Over the first three days the seven-judge panel rejected every motion from the opposition. These included requests to delay proceedings by a month, to remove one judge, and to call Ivanishvili and Kobakhidze as witnesses.

Hearings resumed on Monday 26 October and continue this week. The court must rule by 24 June 2027.

Streets, Courts and Prisons

Nine opposition parties formed an alliance in March, and it launched a protest campaign on Sunday 25 October under the slogan “Georgia without Ivanishvili.” The march began at 7 p.m. outside the main building of Tbilisi State University.

The campaign builds to a large rally on Saturday 28 November. That date is the second anniversary of Kobakhidze’s announcement that Georgia would pause EU membership talks until the end of 2028.

Protests in 2024 and 2025 brought mass arrests. After the 4 October 2025 local elections, protesters tried to enter the presidential palace in Tbilisi, and in May 2026 courts gave organisers prison terms of five to seven years, including seven years for opera singer Paata Burchuladze.

Opposition leader Nika Gvaramia was jailed in 2025 for boycotting a parliamentary inquiry and freed in February 2026 after eight months. He and other leaders now face a separate sabotage case in Tbilisi City Court.

Georgia, the EU, Russia and the US

Georgia applied to join the EU in 2022, but accession talks stalled after a 2024 foreign influence law and the pause Kobakhidze announced on 28 November 2024. In June 2025 a foreign agents registration law took effect, with criminal penalties of up to five years for groups that refuse to register as foreign-funded.

In March 2026 the European Commission suspended visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic, service and official passport holders until 6 March 2027. On 8 October the European Parliament called for targeted sanctions and visa bans on Ivanishvili, Kobakhidze, parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili and Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze.

Russia fought a short war with Georgia in 2008 and recognises the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where it keeps troops. Georgia is not a NATO member, and the alliance’s 2008 promise of eventual membership remains unfulfilled.

The US Treasury sanctioned Ivanishvili in December 2024. The MEGOBARI Act, a bill to sanction Georgian officials, passed the House of Representatives in May 2025 by 349 votes but has not become law.

An Economy That Keeps Growing

Politics has not stopped growth. Georgia’s economy expanded 6.9% in the second quarter of 2026 and 7.6% over the first eight months, according to the national statistics office.

The National Bank of Georgia held its refinancing rate at 8.25% on 9 September. Its international reserves reached a record US$8.17 billion at the end of September, up from US$6.16 billion at the end of 2025.

What It Means for US Readers

For US investors, Georgia is a small but fast-growing market and a transit route for Caspian oil and gas. Sanctions risk is the main concern, because the US has already targeted Ivanishvili and Congress is weighing wider measures.

For travellers and security watchers, Tbilisi’s protests have so far been concentrated in the city centre, and a large rally is set for 28 November. Americans should follow State Department advice, and Georgia’s Western drift or return to Moscow’s orbit shapes security along the Russia and Turkey borders.

What Is Not Known

It is not known how the Constitutional Court will rule, or whether a ban would also strip the parties of any remaining elected seats. The court has until 24 June 2027, and it has so far granted none of the opposition’s motions.

It is also unclear how large the 28 November rally will be or how the police will respond. Whether the US Senate will take up the MEGOBARI Act remains open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Georgia’s prime minister?

Irakli Kobakhidze, of the ruling Georgian Dream party, has been prime minister since February 2024. He heads the government, while President Mikheil Kavelashvili is a largely ceremonial head of state.

Who controls Georgia’s parliament?

Georgian Dream won 89 of 150 seats in October 2024. Opposition blocs boycotted the chamber, and parliament later revoked their mandates.

What is the Constitutional Court case about?

Georgian Dream lawmakers want five opposition parties declared unconstitutional. Hearings began on 21 October 2026, and a ruling is due by 24 June 2027.

When is Georgia’s next parliamentary election?

It is due in 2028. The court case could decide which opposition parties are allowed to take part.

Is Georgia in the EU?

No. Georgia applied in 2022, but its government paused accession talks until the end of 2028, and the EU has since suspended visa-free travel for diplomatic passports.

Sources: Parliament of Georgia; Constitutional Court of Georgia; Central Election Commission of Georgia; Government of Georgia; National Bank of Georgia; National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat); European Parliament.