In parliamentary elections in October 2012, the previously media-shy billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili and his Georgian Dream coalition ousted president Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement, which had been in power in Georgia since 2004. It was quite a reversal of fortunes. In December, Mr Saakashvili’s once remarkable approval rating dropped to 29%, according to the National Democratic Institute, while the new prime minister’s soared to 80%.
Since then, the two men, former allies turned bitter foes, have had a deeply uneasy relationship. Their rare meetings have produced little agreement. In November, the government launched a series of arrests that mainly targeted high-ranking members of the previous administration, including former ministers.
