Prime Minister of Georgia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of Georgia
Coat of arms of Georgia
Incumbent Irakli Kobakhidze since 8 February 2024
Administration of the Government of Georgia
Style	Mr. Prime Minister (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Abbreviation	PM, Premier
Member of	Cabinet National Security Council
Reports to	Parliament
Seat	State Chancellery
Nominator	Parliament
Appointer	President (The president appoints the designated prime minister who has been confirmed by the parliament)
Term length	Four years, renewable indefinitely
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Georgia
Formation	26 May 1918; 107 years ago (1918-05-26)
First holder	Noe Ramishvili (Georgian Democratic Republic)
Deputy	First Deputy Prime Minister
Salary	13,000 GEL/US$ 5,019 per month

The prime minister of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს პრემიერ-მინისტრი, romanized: sakartvelos p'remier-minist'ri) is the main leader of the government in Georgia.

In Georgia, the president is more of a symbolic leader. The real power to run the country belongs to the Government. The prime minister manages and guides the government's work. They also approve its official rules. The prime minister chooses and removes ministers in the Cabinet. They speak for Georgia with other countries and sign international agreements. The prime minister is responsible to the Parliament for what the government does.

The prime minister is chosen by the political party that wins the most votes in the parliamentary election. The person chosen must then get an approval vote from the Parliament.

The current prime minister is Irakli Kobakhidze. He was chosen by the ruling Georgian Dream party on February 2, 2024. His government was approved on February 8, 2024.

History of the Prime Minister's Role
Who Can Be Prime Minister?
How the Prime Minister is Chosen
What the Prime Minister Does
List of Prime Ministers
Timeline of Prime Ministers
Images for kids
See also

History of the Prime Minister's Role

The job of prime minister, first called "chairman of Government", started in Georgia when it declared independence in May 1918. This role stopped when the Soviet Union took control of the country in February 1921.

When Georgia became independent again in August 1991, the position of prime minister was brought back. However, it unofficially ended after a military takeover in January 1992. It was then officially removed from the 1995 Constitution. The job was brought back again with changes to the constitution in February 2004. It was changed even more through a series of updates between 2012 and 2018.

During Mikheil Saakashvili's time as president (from 2004), the president chose the prime minister. The prime minister was like the president's main helper, and the president had most of the power. But after changes to the constitution in 2012 and 2018, Georgia became a parliamentary republic. This means the president's main powers were given to the prime minister instead.

Who Can Be Prime Minister?

To be the prime minister of Georgia, a person must be a citizen of Georgia. They cannot also be a citizen of another country at the same time.

How the Prime Minister is Chosen

The prime minister is chosen by the political party that gets the best results in the parliamentary election. The person chosen for prime minister and their suggested ministers must win an approval vote from the Parliament. After this, the president formally appoints them within two days.

If the president does not appoint the prime minister in time, the prime minister automatically takes the job. If the Parliament does not give its approval vote in time, the president must dissolve the Parliament. This means the president ends the Parliament's term and calls for new elections. This happens no earlier than two weeks and no later than three weeks after the deadline.

What the Prime Minister Does

The prime minister of Georgia is the head of the Government. They are in charge of all government activities and choose or remove ministers. They are responsible for their actions to the Parliament. The prime minister signs the government's official rules and also signs some of the rules made by the president of Georgia.

The prime minister can use the Defense Forces without Parliament's approval during a time of martial law (when the military takes control in an emergency). During martial law, the prime minister becomes a member of the National Defense Council. This is a group that advises the president of Georgia. Even though the president is officially the commander-in-chief of the military, the government and the prime minister usually manage the military in practice.

The prime minister also leads the National Security Council.

List of Prime Ministers

Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)

Chairmen of Government (1918–1921)

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Elected	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Elected	Ref.
1		Noe Ramishvili (1881–1930)	26 May 1918	24 June 1918	29 days		Social Democratic Party of Georgia
2		Noe Zhordania (1868–1953)	24 June 1918	18 March 1921	2 years, 267 days		Social Democratic Party of Georgia	1919

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1991)

Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars (1921–1946)

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Elected	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Elected	Ref.
1		Polikarp Mdivani (1887–1937)	7 March 1922	19 April 1922	43 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
2		Sergey Kavtaradze (1885–1971)	19 April 1922	21 January 1923	277 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
3		Shalva Eliava (1883–1937)	21 January 1923	14 June 1927	4 years, 144 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
4		Lavrenty Kartvelishvili (1890–1938)	14 June 1927	7 June 1929	1 year, 358 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
5		Filipp Makharadze (1886–1941)	1 June 1929	20 January 1931	1 year, 233 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
6		Levan Sukhishvili (?-?)	20 January 1931	22 September 1931	245 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
7		German Mgaloblishvili (?–1937)	22 September 1931	9 July 1937	5 years, 290 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
8		Valerian Bakradze (1901–1971)	9 July 1937	15 April 1946	8 years, 280 days		Communist Party of Georgia	1938

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers (1946–1991)

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Elected	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Elected	Ref.
8		Valerian Bakradze (1901–1971)	15 April 1946	26 March 1947	345 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
9		Zakhary Chkhubianishvili [ka] (1903–?)	26 March 1947	6 April 1952	5 years, 11 days		Communist Party of Georgia	1947
10		Zakhary Ketskhoveli (1902–1970)	6 April 1952	16 April 1953	1 year, 10 days		Communist Party of Georgia	1951
(8)		Valerian Bakradze (1901–1971)	16 April 1953	20 September 1953	157 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
11		Givi Javakhishvili (1912–1985)	21 September 1953	17 December 1975	22 years, 88 days		Communist Party of Georgia	1955 1959 1963 1967 1971
12		Zurab Pataridze (1928–1982)	17 December 1975	5 June 1982	6 years, 170 days		Communist Party of Georgia	1975 1980
13		Dmitry Kartvelishvili [ru] (1927–2009)	2 July 1982	12 April 1986	3 years, 284 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
15		Otar Cherkezia [ru] (1933–2004)	12 April 1986	29 March 1989	2 years, 351 days		Communist Party of Georgia	1985
16		Zurab Chkheidze [ru] (1930–2007)	29 March 1989	14 April 1989	16 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
17		Nodari Chitanava [ru] (born 1935)	14 April 1989	15 November 1990	1 year, 215 days		Communist Party of Georgia	—
18		Tengiz Sigua (1934–2020)	15 November 1990	18 August 1991	276 days		Independent	1990

Georgia (since 1991)

Prime Minister (1991–1995)

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Elected	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Elected	Ref.
—		Murman Omanidze (1938–2020) acting	18 August 1991	23 August 1991	5 days		Independent	—
1		Besarion Gugushvili (born 1945)	23 August 1991	6 January 1992	136 days		Round Table—Free Georgia	—
2		Tengiz Sigua (1934–2020)	6 January 1992	6 August 1993	1 year, 212 days		Independent	1992
—		Eduard Shevardnadze (1928–2014) acting	6 August 1993	20 August 1993	14 days		Independent	—
3		Otar Patsatsia (1929–2021)	20 August 1993	5 October 1995	2 years, 46 days		Independent	—

State Minister (1995–2004)

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Ref.
1		Niko Lekishvili (born 1947)	8 December 1995	26 July 1998	2 years, 230 days		Union of Citizens of Georgia
2		Vazha Lortkipanidze (born 1949)	31 July 1998	11 May 2000	1 year, 285 days		Union of Citizens of Georgia
3		Giorgi Arsenishvili (1942–2010)	11 May 2000	21 December 2001	1 year, 224 days		Union of Citizens of Georgia
4		Avtandil Jorbenadze (born 1951)	21 December 2001	7 November 2003	1 year, 321 days		Union of Citizens of Georgia
5		Zurab Zhvania (1963–2005)	7 November 2003	17 February 2004	102 days		United National Movement

Prime Minister (2004–present)

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Political party		Elected	Government(s)	Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party		Elected	Government(s)	Ref.
4		Zurab Zhvania (1963–2005)	17 February 2004	3 February 2005	352 days		United National Movement	2004	Zhvania
—		Mikheil Saakashvili (born 1967) acting	3 February 2005	17 February 2005	14 days		United National Movement	—	Zhvania
5		Zurab Noghaideli (born 1964)	17 February 2005	16 November 2007	2 years, 272 days		United National Movement	—	Noghaideli
—		Giorgi Baramidze (born 1968) acting	16 November 2007	22 November 2007	6 days		United National Movement	—	Noghaideli
6		Lado Gurgenidze (born 1970)	22 November 2007	1 November 2008	345 days		Independent	—	Gurgenidze
7		Grigol Mgaloblishvili (born 1973)	1 November 2008	6 February 2009	97 days		Independent	2008	Mgaloblishvili
8		Nika Gilauri (born 1975)	6 February 2009	4 July 2012	3 years, 149 days		Independent	—	Gilauri
9		Vano Merabishvili (born 1968)	4 July 2012	25 October 2012	113 days		United National Movement	—	Merabishvili
10		Bidzina Ivanishvili (born 1956)	25 October 2012	20 November 2013	1 year, 26 days		Georgian Dream	2012	Ivanishvili
11		Irakli Garibashvili (born 1982)	20 November 2013	30 December 2015	2 years, 40 days		Georgian Dream	—	Garibashvili I
12		Giorgi Kvirikashvili (born 1967)	30 December 2015	13 June 2018	2 years, 165 days		Georgian Dream	2016	Kvirikashvili I–II
13		Mamuka Bakhtadze (born 1982)	20 June 2018	2 September 2019	1 year, 74 days		Georgian Dream	—	Bakhtadze
14		Giorgi Gakharia (born 1975)	8 September 2019	18 February 2021	1 year, 163 days		Georgian Dream	2020	Gakharia I–II
—		Maya Tskitishvili (born 1974)	18 February 2021	21 February 2021	4 days		Georgian Dream	—	Gakharia II	[1]
15		Irakli Garibashvili (born 1982)	22 February 2021	29 January 2024	2 years, 341 days		Georgian Dream	—	Garibashvili II
16		Irakli Kobakhidze (born 1978)	8 February 2024	Incumbent	1 year, 148 days		Georgian Dream	—	Kobakhidze