# Giorgi Gakharia

Giorgi Gakharia (Georgian: გიორგი გახარია; born 19 March 1975) is a Georgian politician who served as the 14th Prime Minister of Georgia from 8 September 2019 until his resignation on 18 February 2021.

## Education

During 1992–1994, Gakharia studied at Tbilisi State University faculty of history. During 1994–1999, he studied at Moscow State University. He has a master's degree in political science. In 2002–2004, he studied at Moscow State University's Higher Business School, receiving a master's in business management. In 2006–2009, he was an invited lecturer in Applied Biotechnology at Moscow State University.

## Business activity

From May 2004 to November 2008, Gakharia held the position of the Director-General of SFK Group; from November 2008 to February 2013 he held the position of the Director of Germany GR & Business Development at the Lufthansa Service Holding AG. (LSG, Frankfurt am Main) in Eastern Europe, CIS countries and Russian Federation.

## Ministry of Internal Affairs

In November 2017 the Government of Georgia was reshuffled, including the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; consequently, on 13 November 2017 Giorgi Gakharia was appointed to the post of the Minister of Internal Affairs, replacing Giorgi Mgebrishvili.

### Infantry Patrol

Several months after the appointment, for ensuring the security for tourists and tourist areas the Infantry Patrol Subunit was created within the Patrol Police Department of the Ministry. Infantry patrol officers have received 3-week special retraining courses at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; all of them know one or more foreign languages. They are provided with modern police equipment, including the latest generation of shoulder cameras.

## 2019 Georgian protests

On 20 June 2019, Parliament of Georgia hosted the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, an organization set up by the Greek parliament to unite Orthodox Christian lawmakers worldwide. With both Russia and Georgia being members of the organization, the Russian delegation arrived to take part in the session in the Georgian parliament. The session was opened with a speech in Russian from Sergei Gavrilov, a Russian lawmaker from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, whilst sitting in the chair of the Head of Parliament. The event provoked protests from a large part of the Georgian population, especially young Georgians.
A large rally was held in front of the parliament on the evening of 20 June demanding the resignation of the speaker of the parliament Irakli Kobakhidze and the Georgian Dream government, causing clashes.

## Candidate for the prime minister

Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze resigned on 2 September 2019, and the country was waiting for the appointment of a new prime minister. On the same day, the opinion was expressed that Minister of Internal Affairs and Vice Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia was considered a candidate for the post of prime minister. Indeed, on 3 September, Bidzina Ivanishvili, chairman of the Georgian Dream party, nominated him as a candidate for prime minister.
Gakharia arrived in parliament on 8 September to respond to questions and gain support. The Georgian Dream party endorsed him, and he received approval with 98 votes on that same day.

## Prime minister

On 2 November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia, Gakharia tested positive for the virus.

### Resignation

Gakharia's resigned suddenly on 18 February 2021, saying that he no longer agreed with the positions of Georgian Dream. The situation in the country at the time: Nika Melia, chairman of the United National Movement party, was accused of organizing mass violence during the anti-government protests in 2019. When Melia declined to pay a $12,000 bail, a Georgian court ruled that Melia should be detained before his trial. In response, Melia said the court's ruling was "unlawful", and on 18 February, Gakharia resigned over the decision to detain Melia. Melia was arrested while at United National Movement party headquarters on 23 February. The ruling Georgian Dream party supported Irakli Garibashvili to replace Gakharia, and the Parliament voted 89–2 to appoint him on 22 February.

## Post-premiership

Gakharia later became head of the political party For Georgia. In January 2025, he suffered a fractured nasal bone and a concussion after being attacked at a hotel in Batumi, which his party blamed on Georgian Dream and its leader Bidzina Ivanishvili.

## Electoral history

| Election | Affiliation | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round |
| Election | Affiliation | Votes | Percentage | Position | Votes | Percentage | Position |
| 2020 Georgian parliamentary election | Georgian Dream | 928,004 | 48.22% | 1st | | | |
| 2021 Tbilsi mayoral elections | For Georgia | 45,257 | 9.41% | 3rd | | | |
* ↑ Gakharia was a nominee for Prime Minister and head of the electoral list