Journal of Constitutional Law (Sep 2023)
Constitutional Status of the President of Georgia in the Field of Foreign Relations
Abstract
In the constitutional legal space of Georgia, coexistence of the subjects with the right to represent the country in the field of foreign relations is a very problematic issue. In the wake of the constitutional reforms implemented in Georgia in 2004, 2009-2010, and 2017-2018, the forms of state governance of Georgia were changing, which, in turn, led to changes in the powers of the President of Georgia and the executive power in the field of foreign relations. According to the Constitutional Law of October 15 2010, which came into effect from the moment of swearing-in of the President elected as a result of the next regular Presidential Elections of October 2013, the form of state governance of Georgia was changed. The change of the main characteristics of the governance model led to the risk of overlapping of competences and conflict of powers in the field of foreign relations not only between the President of Georgia, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other ministers, but also in the executive power itself. In addition, as a result of the constitutional reform of 2017-2018, the Constitution was revised again, which shaped differently both the governance model and the powers of the President of Georgia in the field of foreign relations. Ensuing from the above, the article will discuss the constitutional status of the President of Georgia in accordance with the constitutional reforms implemented in the field of foreign relations and the current edition of the Constitution. The article shall overview the intersecting powers of the President of Georgia and the Government of Georgia in the field of foreign relations in conditions of the current governance model of Georgia and the constitutional experience of the countries with a governance model, similar to Georgia in terms of the President's foreign powers.
