Mikheil Kavelashvili Elected President of Georgia

Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer player and member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was elected president of Georgia on December 14, 2024, through an electoral college, marking the first indirect presidential election in the country's history. Kavelashvili secured 224 out of 300 votes from a college dominated by his party, which critics allege has consolidated power and is steering Georgia closer to Russia. The election was boycotted by the opposition amid ongoing protests over alleged electoral fraud in the October legislative elections and a recent government decision to suspend EU accession negotiations until 2028. Outgoing president Salome Zourabichvili contested the legitimacy of the election, declaring she would not vacate her office until new elections were held. Pro-European demonstrators have gathered daily in Tbilisi to demand new elections and criticize what they perceive as a pro-Russian drift of the government. Kavelashvili's presidency raises concerns among pro-Western factions regarding Georgia's future alignment and governance amidst increasing authoritarianism.