Former Manchester City footballer Mikhail Kavelashvili is all set to become the next President of Georgia on Saturday. The 53-year-old, who previously served as an MP with the ruling Georgian Dream party, is the only candidate for the post. His appointment will be decided by an electoral college controlled by the Georgian Dream party, which changed the election process in 2017, eliminating popular voting for president.
Many consider Mr Kavelashvili’s upcoming presidency “illegitimate”, given widespread social unrest in the capital, Tbilisi. He is set to become only the second former footballer to serve as head of state, following in the footsteps of former Liberian President George Weah.
Who is Mikhail Kavelashvili?
- Mikhail Kavelashvili played as a striker for Manchester City during the 1995–96 Premier League season. He scored once on his debut in the Manchester derby, although his time at City was brief and unspectacular. During his 12 months at the club, he made 29 appearances and scored 3 goals.
- He also played as a striker for several Swiss clubs – Grasshoppers, Zurich, Luzern, Sion, Aarau and Basel. He played for Dinamo Tbilisi and Spartak Vladikavkaz. On national duty, he represented Georgia 46 times, scoring nine goals.
- After retiring from football, Mr Kavelashvili went into politics. He was elected to the Georgian Parliament in 2016 and later became a leading figure in the Georgian Dream political party, which has been accused of promoting pro-Russian sentiment.
- He left the party in 2022 and co-founded the People’s Power Party. On November 27, 2024, Georgian Dream nominated him as its presidential candidate for the December 14 election.
- Mr Kavelashvili is known for his far-right political stance. Following the controversial re-election of the Georgian Dream Party, he was nominated for the largely ceremonial role of elected President of Georgia in December 2024.
The election follows 16 days of protests across Georgia, where citizens have rallied for the country’s pro-EU stance.
Why are people protesting in Georgia?
The protests erupted following the Georgian Dream party’s decision to delay talks on EU accession until 2028. The decision has angered many citizens hoping for closer integration with the EU. The protests intensified after Mr Kavelashvili was nominated as the country’s next president.
The 53-year-old is seen by protesters as a puppet of the party’s founder, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. Protesters also reject his controversial views, particularly on LGBTQ rights, and criticize the Georgian Dream party for being more closely aligned with Russia than the West.
georgia protest
Demonstrations continued in Tbilisi and other cities, with protesters gathering at central locations such as the Parliament and Heroes’ Square. Protests are likely to increase, especially with Mr Kavelashvili’s upcoming presidential election. As of December 12, more than 400 arrests have been made and more than 100 people have been hospitalized, CBS reports.