Georgia’s deeply polarized political landscape reached a new flashpoint on Sunday as the country’s pro-Western president Salome Zourabichvili defiantly declared herself the “only legitimate president” even as her pro-Moscow successor Mikheil Kavelashvili was sworn into office in a controversial parliamentary ceremony.
“I remain the only legitimate president,” Zourabichvili told a crowd of at least 2,000 pro-EU protesters gathered in the capital Tbilisi ahead of Kavelashvili’s inauguration. “I will leave the presidential palace and stand with you, carrying with me the legitimacy, the flag and your trust.”
The defiant declaration underscored the deep divisions gripping the strategically located Black Sea nation in the wake of October’s bitterly disputed general election. The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, which has increasingly tilted Georgia toward Moscow in recent years, claimed victory in that race. But opposition groups, including Zourabichvili’s supporters, have cried foul, alleging the vote was rigged with Russia’s help.
A President Caught Between Russia and the West
Zourabichvili, a former French diplomat who took office in 2018 as Georgia’s first female president, has emerged as a rallying figure for Georgians who want to see their country remain firmly anchored in the Western orbit. Throughout her tenure, she has vocally championed Georgia’s bid for European Union membership and bristled at GD’s growing coziness with the Kremlin.
That stance has put her increasingly at odds with GD and its allies, who view Zourabichvili as an obstacle to their vision of positioning Georgia as a pragmatic bridge between East and West. Tensions reached a head in the run-up to October’s election, with the president warning that GD was leading Georgia down a “very dangerous path” by eroding its democratic institutions and drifting into Russia’s embrace.
Kavelashvili’s Contentious Path to Power
Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former professional football player who entered politics as a far-right firebrand, was little known outside of Georgia before being tapped as GD’s presidential candidate. His campaign was heavy on populist rhetoric and light on policy specifics, with critics accusing him of serving as little more than a mouthpiece for GD’s billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Opposition groups have flatly rejected Kavelashvili’s claim to the presidency, pointing to numerous irregularities reported by election monitors, including allegations of vote-buying, voter intimidation and possible Russian meddling. Zourabichvili has been the most prominent voice in challenging the legitimacy of Kavelashvili’s victory, setting the stage for Sunday’s extraordinary split-screen standoff.
Protesters Vow to Press On
In her remarks to supporters on Sunday, Zourabichvili vowed that Georgia’s pro-democracy movement would not be cowed by GD’s tightening grip on power. Flanked by key opposition leaders, she called for sustained peaceful protests and a campaign of civil disobedience to keep up pressure on the new government.
“We will not rest until the will of the Georgian people is respected and Georgia’s place in the free world is secured,”
Zourabichvili declared to cheers from the crowd.
For his part, Kavelashvili used his inaugural address to extend an olive branch to his opponents, promising to be a president for “all Georgians” and calling for national unity. But he also signaled a hard line against further protests, vowing to crack down on any actions aimed at “destabilizing” the country.
With both sides digging in, many Georgians fear the current standoff could be the opening salvo in a protracted and unpredictable new chapter in the country’s tumultuous political history. As the crowds outside the presidential palace made clear on Sunday, Georgia’s future is once again up for grabs – and the battle lines are starker than ever.
