Summary

Former soccer star Mikheil Kavelashvili, known for anti-West views, was elected president of Georgia by an electoral college controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

The opposition boycotted the vote, calling it illegitimate, and outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili refuses to step down, escalating a constitutional crisis.

Protests erupted over concerns of election fraud, suppression of democracy, and delayed EU accession talks.

Georgian authorities face international condemnation for police brutality and anti-democratic laws, with Western leaders warning of Georgia’s drift toward Russia under Georgian Dream’s leadership.