Former footballer Mikhail Kavelashvili became the new president of Georgia today. Kavelashvili won easily as the ruling Georgian Dream party controls the 300-member electoral college that replaced the direct presidential election in 2017.
Kavelashvili was a striker for Manchester City and several clubs in the Swiss Super League. He was elected to parliament in 2016 on the Georgian Dream ticket, and in 2022 he co-founded the People’s Power political movement, which is allied with Georgian Dream and has become known for its strong anti-Western rhetoric.
Georgian Dream retained control of parliament after the October 26 election, which the opposition says was rigged with Moscow’s help. Outgoing Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and the main pro-Western parties have since boycotted parliament and demanded a rerun.
Georgian Dream has vowed to continue its push for EU membership but also to “reset” ties with Russia. Critics accuse Georgian Dream, founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, of becoming increasingly authoritarian, a charge the ruling party denies.
Salome Zurabishvili has been president since 2018 and has vowed to stay in office after her six-year term ends on Monday, describing herself as the only legitimate leader until new elections are held.
The EU, which granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 provided the country meets conditions, put its accession on hold and cut off financial support in June after the country passed a law on “foreign influence”.
Thousands of protesters have been gathering every evening outside parliament since the government announced the suspension of EU accession talks on November 28.
