Thea Tsulukiani Explained

Thea Tsulukiani
Office3:Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth
Term Start3:22 March 2021
Primeminister3:Irakli Garibashvili
Irakli Kobakhidze
Predecessor3:office re-established
Order4:Minister of Justice
Term Start4:25 October 2012
Term End4:1 October 2020
Primeminister4:Bidzina Ivanishvili
Irakli Garibashvili
Giorgi Kvirikashvili
Mamuka Bakhtadze
Giorgi Gakharia
Predecessor4:Zurab Adeishvili
Successor4:Gocha Lortkipanidze
Office1:Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia
Term Start1:31 March 2021
Predecessor1:Ivane Matchavariani
Primeminister1:Irakli Garibashvili
Irakli Kobakhidze
Alongside1:Irakli Chikovani
Term Start2:13 September 2019
Term End2:1 October 2020
Primeminister2:Giorgi Gakharia
Predecessor2:Giorgi Gakharia
Successor2:Ivane Matchavariani
Party:Georgian Dream (2014-present)
Free Democrats (2010-2014)
Birth Date:21 January 1975
Birth Place:Tbilisi, Georgian SSR
Alma Mater:École nationale d'administration
Spouse:Nugzar Kakulia
Children:1 daughter
Signature:Tea Tsulukiani signature.svg
Website:Ministry of Justice of Georgia
Native Name Lang:ka

Thea Tsulukiani (Georgian: თეა წულუკიანი; born 21 January 1975) is a Georgian politician who is currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia. She previously served as Minister of Justice from October 2012 to October 2020. Prior to her ministerial roles, she ran as a candidate for the Free Democrats (Georgia), and was elected as Member of Parliament for Nazaladevi, a single- mandate constituency of the capital, with 72% of the vote.[1] She resigned on 29 September 2020, effective 1 October.[2] Since December, 2020 she is a member of Parliament of Georgia.

Tsulukiani has 10 years of experience as a lawyer at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (ECHR) where at the same time she served as a member of the Committee for Rules of Court and as a rapporteur on the cases examined by single-judge compositions.

Tsulukiani holds MPA degree from École Nationale d'Administration (ENA) in France (Averroès 1998-2000). She also holds the degree in international law and international relations and a diploma from the Academy of Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

From 2012 until 2020, Tsulukiani served as the Minister of Justice. She was the chairperson of 8 Inter-agency Councils in the Government of Georgia, among them the Criminal Justice Reform Council, the Anti-corruption Council, the Anti-drug, Anti-torture and Anti-trafficking Councils as well as the State Commission on Migration Issues and the Inter-agency Commission for Free and Fair Elections. Under her tenure, the court system in Georgia underwent several waves of reform.[3] Her critics have argued that Tsulukiani during this time empowered a clan of judges, to ensure that courts return politically favourable decisions.[4]

In March 2021, Tsulukiani was appointed Minister of Culture and Deputy PM.[5] During her tenure, there have been widespread criticisms that Tsulukiani has removed experienced cultural managers, and instead appointed political loyalists, across the film, literature, music and museum sectors.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Civil.ge. Media Reports on Ivanishvili's Possible Picks for Cabinet Posts. 24 July 2017. 7 October 2012.
  2. Web site: 2020-09-30 . Justice Minister Tsulukiani Resigns to Join Election Campaign . 2021-01-16 . Civil.ge . en-US.
  3. News: Imnadze . Guram . Waves of Judicial Reform That Cannot Reach the Shore Heinrich Böll Stiftung Tbilisi - South Caucasus Region . 13 October 2023 . Heinrich Böll Stiftung Tbilisi . 6 September 2021 . en.
  4. News: Nikoladze . Tatia . How the Georgian Judicial System Fell Under Western Sanctions . 13 October 2023 . English Jamnews . Jam News . 15 May 2023.
  5. News: Active, dismissed National Museum employees ask PM to stop Culture Minister's "destructive policy" in open letter . 9 June 2022 . Agenda.ge . 8 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220608155635/https://agenda.ge/en/news/2022/2165 . 8 June 2022 . In an open letter submitted by the recently formed Union of Science, Education and Culture Workers of Georgia, 130 professionals from the major museum network ask the PM to "take an interest" in the events that have resulted in lawsuits and public protests organised against dismissals of about 50 employees from various museums of the group since Tsulukiani's appointment in the spring of 2021..
  6. News: Explainer - Culture Ministry Saps Autonomy of Tbilisi State Conservatoire . civil.ge . Civil Georgia . 13 October 2023.