Bidzina Ivanishvili publishes on the Facebook page of the Georgian Dream a letter about his decision to leave politics:

“I believe that my mission has been accomplished. I have made the decision to finally retire from politics and fully distance myself from the reins of power. I am leaving the post of party chairman, as well as the party itself and am returning to my pre-2011, private lifestyle.

I will turn 65 years old in just a few weeks, and this is one of the important factors in making the decision to retire from politics. I believe that this step of mine, which is dictated by the desire to advance young people to the forefront, will not only not weaken, but will, in fact, further strengthen the ruling party, making it more viable and motivated, while encouraging our supporters and further invigorating the government.

I leave politics proud, victorious, and grateful to the people. The people were able to see the efforts I have expended solely in the interests of the country and the state. I am certain that the Georgian people will also appreciate the step I take today, which is dictated by the same interests that caused me to enter politics.

When the question arises as to why the people chose the Georgian Dream in 2020 as well, the answer is simple. Let us look at the result of the nine-year rule of the previous government and what the Georgian Dream has achieved during its eight years in power. Precisely at this moment, we have the opportunity to withdraw from the daily, fragmented news cycle and observe the big picture with regard to the long period of time that has passed.

I will tell you sincerely and candidly that I really did not want to burden this letter with harsh assessments as, according to Georgian tradition, that intends to depart does so while expressing thanks and wishing well to those who remain. This rule has been established in the homeland of wine by the unique tradition of the Georgian supra which, as I have repeatedly said, most clearly conveys the essence and philosophy of the way of life of Georgian man. I did not wish to violate this rule of etiquette; however, unlike the Georgian supra, it is the present and the future of each of our citizens that is being decided in Georgian politics. Therefore, I believe I do not have the right to sidestep and turn a blind eye to the objective assessment of our shared past.

Some may consider my letter of today to be excessively critical; however, avoiding the assessment of our immediate past would have been false and inappropriate on my part.

Indeed, we have had to clash with evil that was methodically built and strengthened by several people over a period of nine years. Today, this evil has been significantly weakened; unfortunately, however, its harmful effects can still be felt and to this day, the Georgian Dream remains its main deterrent. This is the reality without the consideration of which it is impossible to create a comprehensive political assessment.

What was the result of the nine-year activity of the National Movement? – Authoritarianism, self-fetishization, a dictatorship based on fear and torture, a seizure of public space, false propaganda, and an attempt to reinforce and perpetuate personal power. This was the sole reason behind the amendment of the Constitution and the transition of the country to a pseudo-parliamentary form of government. Not to mention the tragedy of war, refugees, lost territories, and Russian occupation, which left us with an even graver legacy.

What is the result of the eight years of the Georgian Dream"s rule? – Peace, open and pluralist democracy with open public and informational space, parliamentary governance strengthened by constitutional reform, the rejection of the fetishization of the authorities, an institutionally balanced government, a judiciary and public institutions that are detached from politics, the rule of law and equality before it, the establishment of the practice of fair elections, and finally, a timely departure from politics for the reasons discussed in this letter. I am well aware of the liberties the opposition will take in terms of interpreting my every word and, despite all this, I will, nonetheless, say what I need to say for the benefit of all normal and thoughtful readers. As for the rest – time will tell…

*** *** ***

Key Parameters of Progress in the Past Eight Years:

According to the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators study, published in October 2012, Georgia ranked 62ndamong World Bank member countries in terms of the Control of Corruption index. According to Transparency International"s 2011 Corruption Perceptions index, which was published in December 2012, we ranked 64thin the world.

In 2012, according to the Economic Freedom of the World report, our country ranked 69thin the world in terms of the Freedom from Corruption index (which was later converted to the Government Integrity index).

The situation changed dramatically since October 2012, and today, in the same rankings, Georgia ranks 31stin the world in terms of the Government Integrity index and 41stamong World Bank member countries in terms of the Control of Corruption index. Georgia is among Europe"s top twenty countries in terms of both of these indices, even ranking ahead of 13 EU member states.

In terms of Transparency International"s Corruption Perceptions index, published in 2020, Georgia ranks first in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. At the same time, Georgia ranks 12thin the world according to the 2020 Index of Economic Freedom.

According to the World Bank"s Worldwide Governance Indicators, published in 2020, Georgia achieved the best result in its history in terms of the Government Effectiveness indicator, surpassing eight EU member states.

The sustainable competitive development of the Georgian economy and the creation of prosperity on the basis of these values has always been the goal of the Georgian Dream government.

According to the 2020 Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSC), in 2020, Georgia was among the top 40 countries, ranking 37th in the world, scoring the most points in its history, and also ranking first in the world in terms of the seven-year improvement of rank. Georgia is ranked ahead of such leading economies as China, Singapore, Australia, Israel, Greece, Malta, Chile, Cyprus, and so on.

Georgia is ranked ahead of all neighboring countries in the ranking, being second only to the Baltic states in the post-Soviet space.

For your information, according to the 2013 GSC Index, which reflects the period prior to 2013, Georgiawas lagging behind in the world, ranking 95th between Papua New Guinea (94th) and Nepal (96th). Today, Georgia"s position in the ranking has advanced by 58 places.

Georgia also recorded a new historical maximum in the 2020 Prosperity Index, receiving 61.8%on the 100-percent rating scale. The Prosperity Index has been produced by the well-known British think tank Legatum Institute since 2007.

In the 2020 Prosperity Index, Georgia is ahead of all neighboring countries, and second only to the Baltic states among post-Soviet countries.

It should be noted that this year, Georgia gained the most important historical recognition in this study. A special chapter was dedicated to Georgia in the report. Namely, our country was named the most convincing recent example of progress among the achievements of open reconstruction, sustainable and competitive economies. The study analyzed Georgia"s achievements in poverty reduction, free trade, tax and economic liberalization, and investor protection.

“Such success highlights how nations can successfully create the pathways from poverty to prosperity, by creating an economy that is well-managed and resilient to shocks, in which people feel they have a stake, and which is internationally competitive,” the report concluded.

Despite such significant international recognition, Georgia still remains a country of middle-income status, although progress has been made in this area as well. In the past eight years, according to the World Bank"s system of classification, Georgia has movedfrom the lower middle-income group to the higher middle-income group. According to the International Monetary Fund"s assessment, Georgia"s GDP per capita in terms of purchasing power parity has increased by 60% compared to 2012 and exceeds $15,000 in current prices. It is worth noting that with this figure, we are in 14th place among the top 20 middle-income countries in Europe and Asia. The country"s credit rating has improved and with this figure as well, we are among the top 20 middle-income countries in the world. Georgia is one step away from receiving the highest credit rating and only two steps away from receiving an investment rating, the achievement of which is quite realistic in the coming years.

In the course of the past eight years, the Press Freedom Index has advanced Georgia from the 104th spot to the 60th, due to the uprooting of the draconian regulations that previously enabled the authorities to control existing TV stations and prevent new ones from being launched. The media became pluralist, diverse, and accessible.

For three years in a row, the world’s leading research organization, Washington-based thinktank Heritage Foundation, has ranked Georgia’s judiciary and its effectiveness 18th among Europe’s top 20 and 1st in Eastern Europe. At the same time, in terms of judicial independence, quality of judicial processes, and judicial impartiality, Georgia’s court system is ahead of Spain, Italy, Poland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Latvia, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report ranks Georgia 16th among Europe’s top 20 countries in the social safety dimension, and 14th among Europe’s top 20 countries (and 25th in the world) in the freedom from organized crime dimension, having occupiedthe 75th spot (and being grouped together with the countries with the most organized crime) in this parameter in 2012, under the National Movement.

The Global Peace Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace, which analyzes 163 countries across the globe, almost invariably ranked Georgia among the bottom 20 under the National Movement. The Georgian Dream has improved this ranking by 44 spots to advance the country to 95th place.According to the 2020 World Peace Index, Georgia ranks second in the world in terms of the long-term improvement of peace, and according to the 2020 Fragile States Index, Georgia ranks among the top three in the world in terms of the long-term improvement in state stability, ranking first on the Eurasian continent.

The judiciary has been completely overhauled, gradually transforming into an independent institution. The practice of using it as a political tool has ended. Thousands of complaints have been filed with regard to the previous government’s property disputes/offenses alone, and 50 million GEL has been spent from the budget to satisfy a certain part thereof.

Since 2012, in the judiciary system:
The number of acquittals has increased 6 times, and the shameful practice of 99% of convictions has sunk into oblivion;
Prison sentences have dropped almost in half;
Fines as non-custodial sentences have increased by 160%;
The number of juvenile convicts has dropped by 70%;
The use of community service as a form of punishment has grown 35 times;
The number of individuals sentenced to administrative liability by general courts has dropped by 25,000;
Administrative detention cases have dropped 3 times;
200 times more complaints against police officers have been upheld;
The number of complaints filed by Georgians with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg has dropped 11 times.

An overview of the country’s defense capabilities and foreign affairs: Alongside the unparalleled growth of the process of Western integration, the Georgian Dream has succeeded in ensuring peace and stability in the country. The Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) was developed. We joined the NATO Response Force (NRF), and a NATO Training Center was opened. The first package of French air defense systems was also procured by Georgia, and an agreement on subsequent procurements was signed. Also, Javelin missiles were procured, a privilege of US strategic partners, and annual large-scale drills are held in Georgia, with participation from NATO and allied states.

Despite various international crises, the country continues to advance forward. In the course of the past eight years, the country’s GDP has been growing steadily, while the country’s budget has increased from the inherited 8.6 billion to 15 billion GEL.

Revenues from tourism have grown 2.5 times, from 1.4 billion USD in 2012 to 3.3 billion USD in 2019. Since we have already reached these figures, we will quickly bounce back in the post-crisis period to reclaim our positions lost because of the pandemic. The country has tripled the number of bed places, reaching 101,000 in 2020 compared to 33,000 in 2012. If 88,000 tourists visited our mountain resorts in 2011-2012, their number increased to 603,000 in 2018-2019. These statistics clearly testify to the sector’s growth and are directly indicative of the growing incomes of those engaged in the tourism industry.

Economic growth has been underpinned by a relevant scope of infrastructural construction. In terms of road infrastructure, we have spent 6.8 billion GEL in the past eight years, twice the amount spent by the previous government in nine years. Similarly, the previous government paved only 68 kilometers of highways in nine years, while we will open almost 70 kilometers of highways before the end of this year alone. Consequently, from 2012 through 2020, we have paved a total of 200 kilometers, that is, almost triple the result with double the budget.

The number of new natural gas subscribers has also doubled. If there were 172,000 subscribers under the National Movement, 320,000 subscribers enjoy natural gas supplies under Georgian Dream.

Equally impressive are the results in agriculture. Productivity has been significantly increased as a consequence of launching numerous programs tailored to the needs of farmers. By 2012, the country’s negative agricultural trade balance had reached 753 million USD. By 2019, this number has been cut by 55% to make up 356 million USD. If the sector’s budget was 511 million USD in 2012, it reached 900 million USD in 2019.

Since the regaining of independence until 2012, the total area of vineyards made up 35,000 hectares.As a result of the state’s prudent policy in the field of viticultureand winemaking, support for the sector, and systemic reforms, the area of vineyards has grown by 20,000 hectares in the past seven years alone, reaching 55,000 hectares.Prior to 2012, the annual grape harvest fluctuated between 50,000 and 55,000 tonnes. Today, however, these numbers have sextupled to reach 300,000 tons.

Accordingly, the revenues of viticulturists have grown manifold, as evidenced by concrete statistics: Since 2013, viticulturists have received 1.4 billion GEL in revenues from selling grapes.

In terms of budget growth, the area of healthcare and social security deserves special mention. In 2012, its budget made up 1.7 billion GEL, while reaching 5.5 billion GEL today. Pensions have doubled, employment rates have grown, and poverty has dropped by 10.5%. The National Movement decreased poverty only by 4.3%. And, the blanket healthcare reform and the hepatitis C elimination program are universally recognized achievements.

The education budget has grown from 700 million GEL in 2012 to 1.8 billion GEL. Kindergarten tuition fees have been abolished, and schoolbooks are now provided free of charge. Also, funding for vocational schools has quintupled, increasing from 9.6 million GEL to 51 million GEL. Presently, these schools have already retrained more than 60,000 persons. 178 million GEL is spent annually on higher education, with this figure amounting to only 84 million in 2012. 64 million GEL is spent on science and scientific research, as opposed to 15 million GEL in 2012.