A football player instead of a diplomat: Mikhail Kavelashvili became President of Georgia
Ex-footballer Mikhail Kavelashvili was elected President of Georgia in indirect elections. The lack of higher education and anti-Western rhetoric have provoked criticism and protests.
Georgia has received a new president, Mikhail Kavelashvili, an ex—football player who won the first indirect elections in the country's history. The Georgian Parliament chose him as the only candidate, and Kavelashvili won 224 votes with the required 200.
The new president's sporting past includes the Russian championship with Spartak Alania and playing for Manchester City in 1996, when the club was not yet influenced by Arab investments. However, Kavelashvili's political path began in 2016, and he has already become known for his anti-Western rhetoric and criticism of LGBT propaganda.
Kavelashvili's election sparked protests. The opposition points to his lack of higher education and criticizes the parliament's decision. The current president, Salome Zurabishvili, refused to leave office and demands new elections, but Kavelashvili's inauguration is scheduled for the end of December.
Interestingly, football players are beginning to occupy key positions in Georgian politics. Kakha Kaladze, a former football player, has been the mayor of Tbilisi for the eighth year and actively supported Kavelashvili, apologizing for the election of Zurabishvili.
The situation around the new president remains tense, and the protests may escalate into a more serious political confrontation.
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