On Sunday, Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s Foreign Minister, announced additional sanctions against 14 Georgian officials and judges, including Irakli Kobakhidze, in response to the brutal and repressive regime targeting peaceful citizens. The decision comes ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council set for December 16, which is scheduled to consider the Union-wide sanctions against the Georgian Dream officials.
The Estonian announcement was followed by Lithuania, which imposed sanctions on 17 Georgian officials, including Irakli Kobakhidze, head of the state security service, Grigol Liluashvili, Tbilisi Mayor, Kakha Kaladze, and the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority leader, Mamuka Mdinaradze. In his comments, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys reaffirmed Lithuania’s strong support for the Georgian people and their aspirations for European integration.
On Saturday, Mikheil Kavelashvili, the former footballer turned hard-right politician, was voted Georgia’s next figurehead president by the College composed of Georgian Dream lawmakers and local councilors. Kavelashvili, picked by the ruling Georgian Dream party as a loyalist, is known for his expletive-laden parliament speeches, anti-Western rhetoric, and tirades against LGBTQ people.
The election process of the new president was denounced as “illegitimate” and “unconstitutional” by the current President Salome Zurabishvili, opposition parties, and watchdogs. The election session controlled by the Georgian Dream occurred amidst public protests outside the parliament building, where demonstrators also deemed the process illegitimate and labeled it “a farce.” For more information on domestic reactions, including those of the ruling party to Kavelashvili’s election as president, click here.
Leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, and Serbia congratulated Mikheil Kavelashvili, the sole candidate, on his victory in the presidential elections. Congratulations from Budapest are also expected on Monday. In the meantime, several Western politicians, including Joe Wilson, Marko Mihkelson, and Michael Roth, stated that Salome Zurabishvili remains Georgia’s legitimate president.
On the eve of the presidential election, with 85 voted in favor and none against, the GD-controlled parliament adopted amendments to the “State Protection Service” law, removing President Zurabishvili’s protection detail. This amendment, in effect, removes President Salome Zurabishvili’s protection detail once she leaves office.
Speaking at a briefing on December 14, following the elections, Irakli Kobakhidze has declared it a “national mission” to eradicate “liberal fascism” in Georgia. Kobakhidze also accused opposition parties and NGOs of spreading “propaganda of ugliness” and pledged to end their influence. He specifically named the four opposition forces that passed the electoral threshold in the October 26 elections and “rich NGOs”, claiming that their activities threatened Georgia’s stability.
PM Kobakhidze also pledged to draft a list of unfriendly countries that have “an unfair approach towards Georgia.” “For now, I prefer not to name those countries. Instead, I want to allow them to change their approach towards Georgia. Influential forces are acting against our country—forces that previously tried to drag Georgia into a war and open a second front here. They failed in their attempts, which is why they are now opposing the Georgian government.” said Kobakhidze.
On December 13, French President Emmanuel Macron released a video address to the Georgian people. On the eve of Georgia’s anniversary of gaining the EU candidacy, Macron reiterated his support for Georgians’ EU aspirations, reiterated that the Union stands for peace and dialogue, and expressed his hope that Georgia will continue on the path of EU integration. President Macron also noted that the betrayal of the Georgian people’s European aspirations, enshrined in the Georgian Constitution, is unacceptable and that Georgia’s European dream shouldn’t die.
On December 12, the U.S. Department of State announced additional measures under the Visa Restriction Policy prohibiting the issuance of visas to those responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia. The action affects approximately twenty individuals, including those serving as government ministers and parliamentarians, law enforcement and security officials, and private citizens. The individuals subject to visa restrictions have not been named by the State Department.