An electoral college dominated by the ruling party in Georgia appointed loyalist Mikheil Kavelashvili as the new president on Saturday, December 14, in a vote boycotted by the opposition in the midst of a political crisis and anti-government demonstrations in this Caucasian country. The head of the Georgian electoral commission, Giorgi Kalandarichvili, said that Mikheil Kavelashvili was elected with 224 votes. The current head of state, the former French diplomat Salomé Zourabichvili, breaking with the government, however denounced this vote as “illegitimate” and vowed not to leave her functions at the end of her mandate, on 29 December, if the authorities do not organize new legislative elections.
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Obscenities and loyalty
The only official candidate to become the next president, ex-footballer Mikheïl Kavelashvili is known for his diatribes against critics of power, to whom he displays unfailing loyalty. Aged 53, Mikheïl Kavelashvili made speeches before the Parliament of this Caucasian nation, often full of obscenities, targeting criticism of the ruling party, the Georgian Dream, or even LGBT + people.
Before joining the Georgian Dream, he had a football career with Georgian and European clubs, notably Manchester City. In gratitude for his loyalty, he found himself catapulted to the head of state, at a delicate moment for Georgia. There was no one facing him because the opposition refused to sit in Parliament – after the controversial legislative elections in October – and did not propose anyone for these functions.
In Georgia, the powers of the head of state are limited and essentially symbolic. But that did not prevent Salomé Zaroubishvili from becoming one of the voices of the pro-European opposition. Georgia has been plunged into a political crisis since the last legislative elections, the results of which were disputed, and street demonstrations, punctuated by violence.
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Far-right ideology
Protesters accuse Mikheil Kavelashvili of being a puppet of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia, founded the Georgian Dream party and has ruled Georgia from behind the scenes since 2012. According to Bidzina Ivanishvili, her foal is “the incarnation of Georgian man. Wearing a mustache, his hair slicked back and combed back, Mikheïl Kavelashvili is known for his vitriolic sentences.
His political views align with far-right ideologies, particularly regarding national identity, opposition to recognizing the rights of LGBT+ people, and promoting the “purity of traditional values of Georgians” against what he describes as “putrid liberal fascism” imposed by the West. He attacks LGBT+ people in particular, victims of strong hostility in this country where the influence of Orthodox Christianity remains significant. The former footballer notably accused Westerners of wanting “as many people as possible to be neutral and tolerant towards the LGBTQ ideology which supposedly defends the weak but which is in fact opposed to humanity”.
“Illegitimate”
Born in the small town of Bolnisi (southwest) in 1971, Mikheïl Kavelachvili began his sporting career in the 1980s, in Georgia and Russia. Playing as a striker, he played for Manchester City, in England, during the 1995-1996 season, then mainly in Switzerland. From 2016, he was a member of Parliament and was re-elected following the criticized legislative elections in October. In 2022, he created a faction advocating anti-Western themes which officially separated from the Georgian Dream, while being considered to be under its control.
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In his speeches, he accused the West of wanting to push Georgia – which already experienced a short war with Russia in 2008 – into the armed conflict in Ukraine. His nomination as a presidential candidate infuriated pro-EU protesters. “I can hardly imagine someone less suitable for this role,” said Nika Gobronidze, interviewed by AFP this week during protest actions in Tbilisi. According to this 53-year-old historian, billionaire Ivanishvili wants a president under his control: “The Roman emperor Caligula wanted a horse as consul, our oligarch wants his puppet Kavelashvili as president.”
The voting process made the election of Mikheil Kavelashvili almost certain. But its legitimacy is already criticized by experts in constitutional law. Because Parliament ratified the mandates of the new deputies, in contravention of the law which required waiting for the court decision concerning Salomé Zourabichvili's request to annul the results of the October election.
