Foreign Policy: “The Complicated Life of Georgia’s Philosopher President – A conversation with Giorgi Margvelashvili”

Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili has opened up to global political and economic magazine Foreign Policy and spoken candidly about his feud with the former Prime Minister and billionaire tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili.

As author Anna Nemtsova writes, his stint as president hasn’t been a happy place in Margvelashvili’s life, with Ivanishvili – who originally endorsed Margvelashvili in the 2013 presidential elections – let slip he was "disappointed” with the president’s changing character.

The two failed to agree on several aspects of judicial reform as well as other issues concerning the prosecution of former associates of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. The billionaire was especially irked by Margvelashvili's open disagreements with the government, while the president considered their differences in opinion "the norm for a democratic state."

The author asked President Margvelashvili about his ambitions as a political leader: "I don't ever want to lead a political party. Instead I'd like to create a healthy atmosphere that will enable two or three parties to emerge and allow for healthy competition."

When asked whether charges against Saakashvili and other former officials was "damaging” for Georgia, the President admitted that it's a painful process. "But I know that Georgia will emerge from this difficult time with dignity, as a proud victor."

Read the full article here: www.foreignpolicy.com