Subsequently, from 2012 through 2013, the Interior Ministry arrested several high-ranking officials from the previous government, including the former ministers Bachana Akhalaia and Ivane Merabishvili.

[13] Garibashvili defended the arrests of the former ministers as being in strict accordance with the law and justice and claimed that the rate of minor crime, albeit increased, was not alarming.

[14][15] On 2 November 2013, prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who had declared his intention to quit the government following the October 2013 presidential election, named Garibashvili as his successor.

At heated parliamentary debates with the United National Movement minority during the vote, Garibashvili promised economic improvement and stressed that Georgia's EU and NATO aspiration would remain his foreign priorities.

[19] While no reason was given for the sudden move, it was reported that he may have done so due to low levels of support for the Georgian Dream among the populace, with it polling at 18% in November, and parliamentary elections scheduled for 2016.

[20] Opposition politicians, analysts and media speculated that falling support for the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, pressure from the previous prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, or tensions with the president Giorgi Margvelashvili were possible explanations for Garibashvili's resignation.

[27] During his tenure, Garibashvili visited the neighboring countries Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, several European nations, the United States, Israel, the People's Republic of China, and participated in several international summits and forums.

[34] In March 2021, the opposition TV Pirveli media outlet released alleged secret audio recordings involving Irakli Gharibashvili, head of the special state protection service of Georgia Anzor Chubinidze and Bera Ivanishvili, son of Georgian billionaire and founder of ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili.

According to conversations, Bera Ivanishvili, who was a school student at that time, was discussing with Irakli Gharibashvili tasking Anzor Chubinidze to humiliate and punish youngsters for online posts insulting him.

The Georgian Dream party released a statement that the conversation was fabricated and that audio recordings were illegally obtained by the United National Movement government (now opposition) during its rule in 2010–2011.

On 14 March, a large protest by the locals was held against construction of a power plant, including due to environmental concerns, at the central square of Kutaisi.

At the end of March 2021, in accordance with the people's demand, Gharibashvili announced that he reached a compromise with the HPP construction company about the postponement of the deadline.

On 5 July, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said that holding a parade on Rustaveli Avenue posed serious security risks and asked the organizers to either choose one of the alternative locations suggested by the MIA, or not to go forward with the plan at all, calling it unreasonable.

Garibashvili later stated that Georgia is a conservative society with Christian values and such events are unacceptable to 95% of the Georgian population, so as an elected official was obliged to obey them.

The tension between the government and the opposition parties was followed by the brutal beating of the TV Pirveli journalist Lexo Laksharava, who later died on 12 July.

[39] Saakashvili stated that he considered charges against him to be trumped-up and politically motivated, announcing a hunger strike in order to protest his detention.

His health deteriorated during his time in prison, due to which the government of Georgia received criticism from European Parliament, alleging ill-treatment of Saakashvili and violation of his rights.

Garibashvili said that the law was necessary to protect Georgian women from exploitation and to ensure child safety since foreigner nationals often took children abroad and sold them to same-sex couples.

[47] On 29 January 2024, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced his resignation, citing the importance of internal inter-party democracy and the need to "give others a chance."

The announcement was made during a special briefing at the Government Administration, where Garibashvili confirmed his acceptance of an offer to become the Chair of the Georgian Dream party.

Expressing gratitude to various party members and government officials, including founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, Garibashvili acknowledged their support during his term as Prime Minister.

In September 2021, Garibashvili arrived in New York and addressed the 76th session of the United Nations, where he declared his readiness to be a moderator in the improvement of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and he also said that Georgia would take all possible steps to achieve peace in the South Caucasus.

In his speech, he announced his support for traditional and conservative values and denounced LGBT propaganda and the attempts to legislate gender-affirming procedures for the children.

During Garibashvili's meeting with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the parties pledged to enhance cooperation and announced "strategic partnership" between China and Georgia.

In response to the outbreak of the 2022 Russian invasion in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and fears that Russia might once again invade Georgia as it did in 2008, on 3 March 2022, Garibashvili signed the country's application for membership of the European Union (EU).

[50] In June 2022, the European Council expressed readiness to grant Georgia the status of a candidate after completing a set of reforms recommended by the commission.

[51] On 29 January 2024, Garibashvili announced that he would step down from his position as Prime Minister and would accept an offer to become chairman of the Georgian Dream party ahead of parliamentary elections to be held later in the year.

[57] On several occasions, most notably with the Gay Pride march, he backed the conservative side of the debate, adopting a majoritarian approach while noting that "95% of our population are against holding propagandistic parade in a demonstrative manner."

Garibashvili added that Georgia "is a conservative society" and has unique values based on Orthodox Christianity, emphasizing that the minority should not decide fate of the majority.

On 23 August 2021, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Garibashvili with the first degree order of merit during the Crimea Platform summit.