Republic or Monarchy?
The Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II came up with an initiative to make the republic a constitutional monarchy. The governmental party “faces” instantly turned it into significant political news and thus another political performance began. Who could be the Georgian monarch of the 21st century? What fate awaits the President? And, most importantly, what will happen to the new constitutional project? Interestingly, Georgian Dream substantiated adopting the latter, arguing the necessity of having a completely republican system in the country. 'Republic or monarchy' is the new puzzle for the government.
The initiative to “revive” the monarchy is nothing new. In 2009, with the aim of “discharging” the situation, when the three-month so-called “Cell” protests against President Saakashvili’s government failed, the Patriarch advised both the government and opposition to turn the presidential system into a constitutional monarchy. Although the opposition at that time grasped the initiative, after Saakashvili’s victory, Ilia II went quiet on the issue. At another time though, in an interview with Russian Commersant, then-Minister of Interior Affairs Vano Merabishvili implied that the initiative was connected with the Kremlin and Russian interests.
“Primakov has been appointed responsible for the issues of Georgia in Moscow. Afterwards, suddenly the project of the Georgian King from the Bagrationi family was initiated. The Bagrationi descendent was quickly married to another descendent from another branch of the same royal family, for which they separated the woman from her former husband. And what? The project, together with the marriage, collapsed. In Moscow, they are constantly searching for an heir for Georgia, but these attempts are completely doomed,” he said.
Seven years have passed since that interview and the head of Russian Intelligence, Yevgeny Primakov, is dead, but apparently the issue of Georgian monarchy is still hot both for the Kremlin and Ilia II.
High officials like Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, and Eka Beselia, Chairman of the Legal Issues Committee, met with the Patriarch of Georgia for consultation. The fact that the governmental party was so quick to react to the initiatives has raised doubts among the political elite that Georgian Dream is planning a monarchical revolution in the country. These were further enhanced because Patriarch’s statement suspiciously coincided with information in Georgian media about Bidzina Ivanishvili’s stroke. At a glance, Ilia II’s idea about substituting an informal king with a constitutional one might even seem logical if not for the fact that these monarchical processes have developed in a completely different direction.
The thing is that, as a unified monarchical state, Georgia hasn’t had a king since the 15th century. Not only the Georgian Dream, but even the Georgian royal family descendants have no idea who should take the thrown in the 21st century. Some recognize the Bagrationi’s royal branch that emigrated and now resides in Spain, while others support those living in Italy, and some acknowledge the so-called Mukhranian-Bagrationi royal house, etc. In short, as they say here, even the “dog can’t recognize his master”. Most importantly, no-one, including the Bagrationi’s, has any idea about the alleged monarch of united Georgia, the one that will be subordinated by the so-called principalities of Abkhazia, Samegrelo, Guria, Imereti, Kartli, Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Hereti. What makes things even more complicated is that in 1801, when Russia annulled the throne of Kartl-Kakheti, the united Georgian Royal Throne ceased to exist so God knows exactly which monarchy’s revival the Patriarch is on about.
As strange as it may seem, said initiative will create even more arguments for the Kremlin about the issue of western Georgia, and especially Abkhazia, which was not part of that monarchy, the revival of which Ilia II reminds us so insistently from time to time.
Zaza Jgarkava