Georgia's Prime Minister Resigns Amid Political Turmoil

(Vatican Radio) Georgia's Prime Minister, who became Europe's youngest government leader, has resigned amidst political turmoil. The resignation of Irakli Garibashvili's resignation has injected fresh political uncertainty into the former Soviet republic. 

Listen to the full report by Stefan Bos:

Garibashvili, who is 33, said in televised remarks that he was leaving to show an "example to the young generation." He made clear that he did not want to cling to his post at a time when the country faces major challenges. "All posts are temporary. Only God and the motherland are eternal," he told his nation.

"I've made a decision today to resign from the post of Prime Minister ... I'm leaving this position today, but will remain a loyal soldier of my motherland."
 
Opposition politicians, however, linked his resignation to the fall of popularity of the ruling party due to economic difficulties, less than a year before new parliamentary elections were to be held. 

POLITICAL UNKNOWN

The Paris-educated Garibashvili was a political unknown before former prime minister and billionaire tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili named him interior minister in October 2012. That appointment came after Ivanishvili's coalition headed by his Georgian Dream party ended the rule of supporters of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
 
In November 2013, Garibashvili became the youngest head of a government in Europe when he was appointed Prime Minister. He was criticized him for a lack of political experience and as a pawn controlled by billionaire Ivanishvili.

Under previous president Saakashvili, Georgia had embraced staunchly Western-leaning policies as the government sought membership in the European Union and NATO. Prime Minister Ivanishvili, by contrast, sought to improve relations with Russia, which remains a major export market for Georgian goods.

The pro-Western policies had angered Moscow, and analysts say it paved the way to a brief war in 2008 that dismembered the country.