On Sunday, Georgia inaugurated President Mikheil Kavelashvili amid growing demonstrations and accusations of election fraud perpetrated by Moscow. Kavelashvili, a former soccer player, was selected by a 300-member electoral college controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which now dominates every major government institution.
Kavalashvili’s appointment comes a month after Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced a suspension of EU accession talks until 2028, a move welcomed in Moscow, but not on the streets of Tbilisi. Thousands of Georgians have demonstrated at the parliament building nightly since the country’s October elections, facing down riot police, water cannons, and tear gas, with hundreds detained and over 100 injured.
The opposition boycotted the election, and the previous President, pro-EU leader Salome Zourabichvili, has refused to step down despite being threatened with jail. While Zourabichvili has now vacated the presidential palace, she has not gone quietly. Speaking on a podcast Friday, she said: “This election, and hence the inauguration of the president, is not valid, so I remain president and I continue to do my job — that is what everybody has to know.”
This means the nation has reached yet another critical turning point, says Eurasia Group regional expert Tinatin Japaridze. “Georgia now has two presidents, yet only one is widely recognized by many Georgians and the international community as the legitimate leader.”
Georgia’s isolation from the West is no longer a looming threat but a reality orchestrated by Georgian Dream founder and “honorary chairman” Bidzina Ivanishvili. What further complicates matters, says Japaridze, is that Ivanishvili now faces unprecedented US Treasury sanctions. Meanwhile, US Congressman Joe Wilson has invited Zourabichvili to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, recognizing her as Georgia’s “only legitimate leader.”
“The duration of this duality is uncertain,” says Japaridze, “but in light of ongoing protests demanding new elections and Western sanctions, it is evident that this crisis cannot persist indefinitely.”
In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Ed Policy, President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, to discuss how purpose-driven leadership and innovation are shaping the future of one of the world’s most iconic sports franchises. Ed shares how technology and community-focused initiatives, from Titletown Tech to health and safety innovations on the field, are transforming not just the game of football, but the economy and culture of Green Bay itself. He explains how combining strategic vision with investment in local startups is keeping talent in the Midwest and creating opportunities that extend far beyond Lambeau Field.
Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Egyptians are voting this month in parliamentary elections that aren’t expected to change who’s in charge, but could allow President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to rule beyond 2030.
Thailand and Cambodia’s ceasefire is on the verge of collapse. Strikes were launched across their disputed border today, following clashes over the weekend that resulted in the death of a Thai soldier.