TBILISI, Georgia — On Sunday, Mikheil Kavelashvili was officially inaugurated as Georgia’s president, reinforcing the ruling party’s control, which many in the opposition view as detrimental to the country’s European Union ambitions and a triumph for Russia, Georgia’s former imperial ruler.
The outgoing president, Salome Zourabichvili, who has championed pro-Western policies, announced on Sunday morning that she would vacate her residence at Tbilisi’s Orbeliani Palace. While engaging with a group of supporters gathered outside, she asserted her role as the legitimate president, stating, “I will come out of here, come out to you and be with you… This presidential residence was a symbol as long as there was a president here who was legitimate. I bring legitimacy with me.” Zourabichvili characterized Kavelashvili’s inauguration as a “parody.”
Kavelashvili, 53, was the sole candidate on the ballot and secured an easy victory in early December, a result attributed to the Georgian Dream party’s domination of the electoral body formed in 2017. This electoral body includes members of Parliament, municipal councils, and regional legislatures, effectively replacing direct presidential elections. During his inaugural address, Kavelashvili pledged to be “everyone’s president, regardless of whether they like me or not,” urging the country to unite around shared values and mutual respect for a collective future.
The Georgian Dream party maintained its hold on Parliament following the elections held on October 26, which the opposition alleged was manipulated with assistance from Moscow. Although the party claims to be committed to European Union membership, it has also expressed a desire to strengthen ties with Russia. In response to the election results, outgoing presidents and major pro-Western political factions boycotted parliamentary sessions and demanded a re-election process.
In 2008, a brief conflict between Russia and Georgia resulted in Moscow officially recognizing two breakaway regions as independent territories and subsequently increasing military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Critics of the Georgian Dream party allege that it favors increasingly authoritarian policies and closer alignment with Moscow. Despite these accusations, the party denies any such alignment. Recently, it has introduced laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to restrict freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
Last month, the Georgian Dream faced heightened criticism when it decided to halt discussions regarding the country’s EU membership bid, further fueling opposition protests. Demonstrators outside the Parliament building on Sunday displayed red cards, drawing a parallel with Kavelashvili’s background in soccer. One protester, Sofia Shamanidi, explained that they were issuing Kavelashvili a “red card” and warned, “The next step will be sending him off the pitch. The Georgian people will definitely do this, because it was a circus that they have held today in the parliament.”
Zourabichvili, who is 72 years old, was born in France to Georgian parents and previously enjoyed a successful career with the French Foreign Ministry before being appointed Georgia’s top diplomat by President Mikheil Saakashvili in 2004. Following constitutional amendments that made the presidency primarily ceremonial, she was elected by popular vote with the backing of Georgian Dream in 2018. However, she later grew critical of the party’s pro-Russia policies, resulting in an unsuccessful impeachment attempt against her.
Rejecting claims from the government that the opposition was instigating violence, Zourabichvili stated, “We are not demanding a revolution… We are asking for new elections, but in conditions that will ensure that the will of the people will not be misrepresented or stolen again.”
As for Kavelashvili, he faced scrutiny from the opposition regarding his educational background. As a former striker in the English Premier League for Manchester City and a participant with several clubs in the Swiss Super League, he became a parliamentary representative in 2016 with the Georgian Dream. In 2022, he co-founded the People’s Power political movement, which is allied with Georgian Dream and has gained notoriety for its anti-Western stances.
Kavelashvili played a role in proposing a contentious law that mandates organizations receiving over 20% of their funding from overseas to register as “pursuing the interest of a foreign power.” This regulation has similarities to a Russian law aimed at delegitimizing critical organizations, leading the EU to freeze Georgia’s EU accession process and cut financial support after its approval in June.
Protests erupted following the government’s announcement to suspend EU accession talks on November 28, drawing thousands to the Parliament building each night. Riot police deployed water cannons and tear gas nearly every day to manage crowds, leading to injuries and hundreds of arrests. Numerous journalists also reported being attacked by police, while media workers claimed thugs were employed by the authorities to intimidate attendees of anti-government protests. The Georgian Dream party, however, has disputed these claims. This crackdown has triggered strong criticisms from both the United States and EU officials.
