Mikheil Kavelashvili reacts after being elected as the country’s new president by the parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia, on December 14, 2024.
Irakli Gardens | Reuters
Georgian lawmakers on Saturday elected Mikheil Kavelashvili, a hardline Western critic, as the country’s new president, following a massive outcry against the government last month over the suspension of the country’s EU membership talks. The protests come as he is set to succeed the pro-Western current president.
The ruling Georgian Dream party froze the EU membership process until 2028, abruptly ending a long-standing national goal enshrined in the country’s constitution, a move that sparked widespread anger in Georgia, where polls showed overwhelming support for those seeking EU membership welcome.
Kavelashvili is a former professional football player with strong anti-Western views, often tinged with conspiracy theories. In public speeches this year, he has repeatedly claimed that Western intelligence agencies are seeking to push Georgia into a war with Russia.
The President of Georgia is elected by an electoral college composed of members of Congress and local government representatives. Of the 225 voters present, 224 voted for Kavelashvili, the only candidate nominated.
All opposition parties have boycotted parliament since the October election, in which official results showed the ruling Georgian Dream party received nearly 54% of the vote, but the opposition said the election was fraudulent.
Hundreds of protesters braved light snow to gather outside parliament ahead of the presidential vote. Some played football in the streets outside and waved red cards at the parliament building, a mockery of Kaverashvili’s sporting career.
Kavelashvili was nominated to the largely ceremonial presidential post last month Bidina IvanishviliA billionaire former prime minister who is widely regarded as the country’s top leader.
Kavelashvili is the leader of the ruling party’s anti-Western separatist group People’s Power and a co-author of the “foreign agents” law, which requires organizations with more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents. influence and impose heavy fines for violations.
outgoing president Salome ZorabicviliA pro-EU critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, she has positioned herself as a leader of the protest movement and has said she will remain president beyond her term. She believes parliament is illegitimate due to alleged fraud in the October election.
Opposition parties say they will continue to regard Zurabichvili as the legitimate president even after Kaverashvili takes office on December 29.
Relations with the West deteriorate
For decades, Georgia was seen as one of the most pro-Western and democratic Soviet successor states, but relations with the West soured this year and the “Georgian Dream” forced through laws on foreign agents and LGBT rights that critics said The law is Russian – inspired and severe.
Western countries have sounded the alarm over Georgia’s apparent foreign policy shift and authoritarian tendencies, with the European Union threatening sanctions over Georgia’s crackdown on protests. “Georgia’s European dream must not be extinguished,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video address to Georgians on Friday.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Georgian Dream has begun to improve relations with Russia. Defeated Georgia in the war.
Tens of thousands of protesters have rallied outside parliament every night for more than two weeks. Some threw fireworks at police, who used water cannons, tear gas and ballot attacks to break up the demonstrations.
The government has repeatedly said the protests are a pro-EU revolution and a violent attempt to seize power.
Police detained hundreds of protesters. Georgia’s Interior Ministry said more than 150 police officers had been injured during the protests.
Parliament approved sweeping new restrictions on protests on Friday, raising fines for participants and organizers and banning face coverings at rallies, fireworks and lasers used to dazzle police.
