Who Is Mikheil Kavelashvili? Georgia’s New President And His Role In The Nation’s Political Shift

Mikheil Kavelashvili was elected as Georgia’s new president on Saturday by a 300-seat electoral college, following a shift to this system in 2017. Kavelashvili, 53, was the only candidate on the ballot, making it a straightforward win. Though constitutional changes have made the presidency largely ceremonial, Kavelashvili’s election is seen as a victory for the ruling Georgian Dream party and a tight grip on power, despite opposition claims of undermining Georgia’s European Union aspirations and strengthening ties with Russia.

A Controversial Election Process

Opposition parties argue that Kavelashvili’s election is a blow to Georgia’s path to EU membership. They accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of manipulating the process to secure their control. While Georgia’s election commission and the ruling party insist that the election was free and fair, outgoing President Salomé Zourabichvili, a pro-EU critic, has refused to vacate her office, stating that the election was tainted by fraud.

Mikheil Kavelashvili’s Journey to the Presidency

Kavelashvili’s path to the presidency is an unlikely one. Initially a promising footballer, he played for Georgia’s Dinamo Tblisi, Spartak Vladikavkaz in Russia, and Manchester City before retiring in 2006. After stepping away from football, he entered politics in 2016, joining the Georgian Dream party and later co-founding the People’s Power political movement in 2022, which is known for its anti-Western stance. His lack of formal education has been criticized by his opponents, who staged protests mocking his football career on the day of his election.

Kavelashvili’s political ideology has included support for a controversial law requiring organizations receiving over 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interest of a foreign power,” drawing comparisons to Russian laws used to discredit opposition. He has also openly criticized the West and accused outgoing President Zourabichvili of violating the constitution, promising to restore the presidency to its constitutional framework.

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