Crossroads and icons
In February 2021, former Prime Minister of Georgia and then-Minister of Defence Irakli Garibashvili returned to the Premiership after a six-year hiatus. A prominent figure in the ruling Georgian Dream party’s conservative wing, Garibashvili was given a mandate to break with the party’s erstwhile political ambiguity and embark on a truly traditionalist-conservative course. Garibashvili’s return to power and the ensuing ideological shift, while mostly aimed at domestic politics, would have strong impacts on Georgia’s foreign policy, particularly in Tbilisi’s relations with Asia and Central and Eastern European countries.