December 29th 2024.
Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former football player for Manchester City, was officially sworn in as the new president of Georgia today. The ceremony was met with controversy as the outgoing president, Salome Zourabichvili, and four opposition parties denounced the election process as illegitimate. This comes after the parliamentary elections in October, where Kavelashvili's party, Georgian Dream, was accused of fraud. In addition, many citizens were angered by the government's decision to suspend their application to join the EU.
The protests continued as thousands took to the streets of Tbilisi, the capital, while Kavelashvili was being sworn in behind closed doors. But let's take a step back and learn more about Kavelashvili's journey to politics. Before entering the political scene, Kavelashvili had a successful career in football. He began playing for the Georgian team Dinamo Tbilisi and later joined Manchester City, where he scored against rivals Manchester United on his debut. After a brief stint in Switzerland, he was disqualified from running for president of the Georgian Football Federation in 2015 due to not meeting the education requirements.
In 2016, Kavelashvili shifted his focus to politics and was elected to parliament as a member of the Georgian Dream party. However, in 2022, he left to co-found the People's Power party, which is seen as a satellite of Georgian Dream. During his time in politics, Kavelashvili has gained attention for his anti-Western views and close ties to Russia. He has also made controversial statements against the LGBTQ community and defended the adoption of laws that limit their rights. He has accused Western leaders of trying to drag Georgia into Russia's war with Ukraine.
Kavelashvili's presidential nomination was announced by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder of Georgian Dream and the country's de facto leader. Ivanishvili praised Kavelashvili as an outstanding politician and athlete, while criticizing Zourabichvili for betraying the country. However, many critics see Kavelashvili as a puppet of Ivanishvili and believe the oligarch chose him as a tool he could control.
The controversy surrounding Kavelashvili's election has sparked protests and backlash from citizens. Many believe he is not fit for the role of head of state, with some even comparing him to the notorious Roman emperor Caligula. Constitutional law experts have also deemed his election as illegitimate, and Zourabichvili's court bid to have it annulled was denied. Despite this, Kavelashvili was officially inaugurated, where he expressed his commitment to Georgian traditions, values, and national identity.
As Kavelashvili begins his term as president, it is important to remember that Georgia is a parliamentary democracy, with the president serving as the head of state and the prime minister as the head of parliament. It remains to be seen how Kavelashvili's presidency will impact the country and its relationship with the EU and Russia.
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