Georgia’s political scene is currently in pandemonium. This is because the former Manchester City footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili has been appointed president by the disputed parliament, sparking even more chaos after 17 days of pro-EU protests.
Kavelashvili, aged 53, is from the ruling Georgian Dream party and was the only candidate. He got 224 out of 225 votes from the electoral college on Saturday. But the four main opposition groups are having none of it, boycotting parliament and claiming the October elections were rigged.
Protesters braved freezing temps outside parliament early Saturday, demanding change. Outgoing pro-Western president Salome Zourabichvili slammed Kavelashvili’s election, calling it a sham. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze fired back, saying Zourabichvili is harming Georgia’s interests and will have to retire when her term ends on December 29.
Georgia’s a parliamentary democracy, so the president is the head of state, while the prime minister runs parliament. Protests kicked off right after the October elections but exploded on November 28 when the government paused EU accession talks until 2028. Most Georgians want to join the EU, and it’s even in the constitution.
Every night, the main avenue outside parliament is packed with protesters waving EU flags and demanding new elections. The night before the vote, Tbilisi saw pop-up protests from IT specialists, public sector workers, creatives, actors, and lawyers.
Kavelashvili, founder of the People’s Power party, is known for anti-Western propaganda. He accused opposition parties of being foreign agents and called Zourabichvili a “chief agent.” He got into politics after being disqualified from leading the Georgian football federation.
Despite running with Georgian Dream in the October elections, People’s Power now claims to be a “healthy opposition” against the “radical opposition funded by foreign forces.” Party MP Guram Macharashvili said the crisis is “artificially created” by foreign influence.
Macharashvili and Kavelashvili are behind Georgia’s controversial “foreign agents” law, seen as Russian-style legislation by the opposition. Macharashvili says “healthy opposition” means competing with the ruling party to make better proposals for Georgia’s future.
Georgian Dream, founded by billionaire and former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili, is accused of pulling Georgia back into Russia’s orbit.
The political drama in Georgia is far from over. With protests continuing and the opposition rejecting the new president, the country’s future remains uncertain. The international community is watching closely, hoping for a peaceful resolution.
