Giorgi Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
A ministerial appointment hasn’t been discussed so passionately in the Georgian media for a long time, causing real emotions. For the first time in history, the Defense Ministry of Georgia will be headed by a woman – Tinatin Hidasheli. Some have already compared her with the legendary Queen of the Abkhaz-Georgian Kingdom, Tamara Bagration, who was canonized by the Orthodox Church. Historians say that Queen Tamara personally managed the army in the most important battles, for example the Battle of Basiani in 1203. However, this could only be a beautiful legend. We don’t know whether Hidasheli will be a good commander, but she is unlikely to become a favorite of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The appointment of Tinatin Hidasheli to the position caused an ambiguous reaction in Georgian society. Her first appearance in public as the Minister caused a big scandal – the Minister arrived at a disposition of soldiers, wearing a raggedly thrown-on khaki jacket, while an excessively active bodyguard stood between her and the elite brigade of the Armed Forces. The former Defense Minister David Tevzadze called the incident ‘an insult to the army.’
However, these are insignificant details which are laid on other aspects of the appointment of Hidasheli. Her foreign political priorities are not in question: during the first meeting with journalists, answering a question of whether joint American-Georgian military exercises near Tbilisi could cause indignation on the part of Russia, she answered: “Russia is even indignant about the fact we are talking in Georgian with you.”
Such sharpness is not a surprise. Hidasheli is thought to be the most consistent pro-Western politician in her ‘Republican Party’, which has insisted on her appointment. Hidasheli sees the main priority in integration between Georgia and NATO. However, the same priority goes for the whole ruling Georgian Dream coalition; but the previous Defense Minister, Mindia Djanelidze, didn’t make such uncompromising statements toward Russia. Moreover, he called on former Georgian solders “to avoid participation in the military activities in Ukraine”; this was immediately called an expression of ‘pro-Russian attitudes in the Defense Ministry.’
Unlike Djanelidze, Tinatin Hidasheli is not a common functionary or bureaucrat, but a charismatic politician with an interesting past. She was one of the initiators of the civil sector, heading the powerful non-governmental organization Association of Young Lawyers for many years. Hidasheli is one of leaders of the Republican Party. Her husband is David Usupashvili, the speaker of the parliament. However, nobody accuses the head of the parliament of ‘lobbying for interests of the family,’ because Hidasheli is “a self-sufficient politician” and doesn’t need her husband’s protection.
At the same time, her appointment became another confirmation of the improvement of the positions of the Republican Party in the ruling coalition and the government. Today the cabinet of Irakli Garibashvili includes three republican ministers: the Minister for Environment Gigla Agulashvili and the State Minister for Reintegration Paata Zakareishvili.
Difficult consultations took place between leaders of the Republican Party and Premier preceded the appointment of the Defense Ministry. It turned out the Republicans put the question point-blank: “If we are a part of the coalition, we should be a part of the government.” The Premier couldn’t reject this, as the Republic Party is the embodiment of pro-Western policy; and if it leaves the coalition the supporters of Mikheil Saakashvili from the former ruling party of the United National Movement will have an opportunity to accuse the authorities of withdrawing from the pro-Western course.
At the same time, positions in government are not a final goal for the Republicans. The party was founded in the 1970s by dissidents of the Soviet times, including the brothers Levon and David Berdzenishvili. Today they are MPs who stand for meticulous continuation of the pro-Western line, excluding any dialogue with Moscow on the problem of integration of Georgia into Eurasian structures. The appointment of a woman to the position of the Defense Ministry is an important demonstration of ‘civil control’ over the army, as it is an essential condition for further rapprochement with NATO.
It seems the authorities agree with the game rules, as they don’t see prospects for solving basic problems of Georgia in the dialogue with Moscow.
