On 18 December, Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia presented the government agenda and the Cabinet of Ministers that will lead the country until 2024.

He stated that the programme of the new government “Building of a European State” aims to overcome the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, restore the state economy in a timely fashion, create a safe and stable environment for Georgian citizens and continue structural reforms. In parallel the country would continue taking steps for the consolidation of democracy and Euro-Atlantic integration. “The main goal of the following years will be making Georgia institutionally, socially and economically ready for submission of an official statement for the membership of the EU in 2024,” the statement emphasised. The new Georgian government would be focused in 4 key policy areas, namely: 1) foreign policy, security, conflict resolution and human rights, 2) economic development, 3) social policy and development of the human capital and 4) state governance. 

Gakharia also presented the candidates for the country’s Cabinet of Ministers. The candidates were as follows: 1) Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport - Mikheil Chkhenkeli; 2) Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture - Levan Davitashvili, 3) Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development - Natia Turnava; 4) Defence Ministry - Irakli Garibashvili; 5) Ministry of Justice - Gocha Lortkipanidze; 6) Ministry for Internally Displaced Persons, Health and Social Issues - Ekaterine Tikaradze; 7) Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure - Maia Tskitishvili; 8) Ministry of Foreign Affairs - David Zalkaliani; 9) Finance Ministry - Ivane Machavariani; 10) Ministry of Internal Affairs - Vakhtang Gomelauri; and 11) State Ministry for Reconciliation and Civil Equality - Tea Akhvlediani. 

Meanwhile, one of the leaders of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) Nika Melia announced that if the chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Bidzina Ivanishvili doesn’t arrange new elections the opposition would start preparing for peaceful but evident protests. “Look at the people gathered here. We hardly have anything in common. Injustice and election fraud brought us together. Election fraud is what unites us, and indeed, we have an incredible result, the opposition did not legalise the elections that Ivanishvili has stolen. The opposition will strengthen its efforts and struggle until new elections are held. We discussed this today, and we have a plan,” Melia told journalists. “When you abolish all institutions, when you have a one-man parliament, when the judiciary no longer exists, the protest in society is growing, so you should not be surprised if this dissatisfaction may transform into a peaceful revolution,” Melia declared.

The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Shalva Natelashvili voiced the idea to form a People’s Parliament. According to him, the parties will gather in the coming days and discuss this issue. “We [are thinking] of forming a People’s Parliament [made from] the opposition parliamentarians, who have renounced their mandates. It would be a coordinating political body during the transition period. Our response must be as angry as the anxiety of our people, triggered by the criminal policy of this government,” he stated.

On the other hand, the opposition Lelo party categorically denied that it would be involved in any issue that is beyond the law. “We do not want revolution in the country,“ said the leader of Lelo Mamuka Khazaradze. According to Khazaradze, political opponents have to learn how to resolve difficult problems through a dialog and compromise. He said that any incorrect activity might weaken the country and the word “revolution” had to be removed from the political vocabulary once and forever. The call for revolution was also condemned by the EU ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell. “I think the revolutionary narrative is not constructive. This is not something that anyone, including the European Union, supports,” Hartzell stated.

A day earlier, the Executive Secretary of the GD, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced a new bill package that envisages suspending state funding for the boycotting opposition, as well as a set of other measures against the GD’s political opponents. This sparked negative reactions from the opposition and international actors in Georgia. “The two legislative initiatives introduced by the ruling party do not help the ongoing negotiation process, it causes certain concern to me. A strong democracy includes freedom of speech. Georgia has already been severely damaged by political retaliation, and bills like this make the conditions that all political participants should enjoy unequal,” stated Carl Hartzell in response to Kobakhidze's proposal. “The ruling parties should refrain from attempts to suppress the opposition voice and, on the contrary, try to ensure that all parties have an equal opportunity to participate in the democratic process,” stated the US Senator Jim Risch in regard to the proposal.