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Georgia: protests against the installation of the new pro-Moscow president

Thousands of pro-EU protesters in Tbilisi call for new elections after the inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili, a sham election considered illegitimate by the opposition and former president Zurabishvili

Thousands of pro-EU protesters took to the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, to contest the inauguration of new President Mikheil Kavelashvili, who is linked to the ruling Georgian Dream party. The crowd has been gathering in front of Parliament for more than two months to criticise the president, described as ‘illegitimate’ by the opposition and former president Salome Zurabishvili, who are calling for a rerun of the October general elections, considered rigged.

Kavelashvili, a former footballer and supporter of extreme right-wing ideas, was sworn in at a closed-door ceremony in parliament. The swearing-in, which took place against a backdrop of high political tension, is likely to further aggravate the ongoing crisis, which is seeing mass demonstrations in support of Georgia’s accession to the European Union.

‘Our history shows that peace is one of the main values of the Georgian people,’ said Kavelashvili, extolling national traditions. Zurabishvili, for his part, reiterated the need for legitimacy and confidence in the country’s democratic future, openly criticising the new president.

Meanwhile, the Georgian Dream party accuses the West of wanting to drag Georgia into the Ukrainian conflict, while the opposition claims that the government wants to push the country closer to Russia. The situation is further complicated by the recent sanctions imposed by the US against the founder of Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, accused of compromising Georgia’s democratic future to favour Moscow.

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