All news on the topic: Bidzina Ivanishvili

Georgia’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, has announced a sweeping crackdown on dissent, accusing demonstrators who tried to storm the presidential palace of aiming to topple his government and blaming the European Union for interference in his country.

Bidzina Ivanishvili’s ruling Georgian Dream party has faced accusations of election fraud and increasingly authoritarian leadership, and he was sanctioned by the U.S. in December. Some of his valuable assets are now held in entirely domestic structures.

The US has imposed sanctions on Georgia’s former prime minister and billionaire founder of the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Businessman Koka Kokolashvili keeps a low profile in Georgia — but he does have family connections to the country’s political elite. Now, as the EU is looking to Georgia’s hydroelectric industry as an untapped energy resource, companies he owns have landed government contracts to develop a new wave of hydropower plants on Georgia’s rivers.

Poll result could determine whether country veers towards Russia or continues path to join EU

The Republic of Georgia is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on October 26. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, enters the contest with historically low approval ratings but still has a strong chance of defeating a fragmented opposition.

Ivanishvili also appears to retain a Russian company through an offshore structure, despite promising to divest from Russia.

In a session marked by yelling and physical confrontation, the Georgian Parliament adopted a law on Tuesday that opponents call the “Russian bill” and believe could dismantle civil society and divert the country from the European Union path.