Salome Zourabichvili’s role as president was largely marked by symbolism and limited power.
However, she has recently emerged as the face of the nationwide anti-government, pro-EU protests, which she defines as “a resistance movement against [the] pro-Russian government.”
For almost a month, hundreds of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets in the capital, Tbilisi, and across the country to express their fury over the disputed October election results and the government’s decision to suspend EU integration. Demonstrators chanting “Russians” and “slaves” have been enduring freezing temperatures, water cannons, tear gas and brutal police crackdowns.
With the ruling Georgian Dream party’s dramatic authoritarian shift, pro-Western Georgians see Zourabichvili as the last glimpse of hope.
So who is she, and what is her potential endgame?
From French diplomat to Georgian president
Salome Zourabichvili was born in Paris in 1952, into a family of Georgian political emigres. Her family escaped the Georgian Democratic Republic when Moscow’s troops rolled into Tbilisi in 1921 to absorb a sovereign nation into the Soviet empire.
After graduating from top schools in Paris and New York, Zourabichvili was destined for high offices. For more than 30 years, she dedicated herself to French diplomacy with postings in the United States, Italy and Chad before returning to her historical homeland, where she served as France’s ambassador to Georgia.
In 2004, by mutual agreement between the presidents of France and Georgia, she became the foreign minister of Georgia. During her tenure, Zourabichvili signed key agreements with NATO and the European Union and negotiated the partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgian territory.
How did Zourabichvili go from Georgian Dream loyalist to foe?
Zourabichvili was once seen as a loyalist of the Georgian Dream party.
Some experts believe Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the Georgian Dream party and a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia in the 1990s, helped her to win the presidential race.
“The lion’s share of credit for her presidency goes to Ivanishvili. And because of that, she turned a blind eye to some tendencies in the first years of her mandate. But she had her red lines,” Gia Khukhashvili, a former adviser to Ivanishvili, told DW.
The dynamic between Zourabichvili and the Georgian Dream changed after the party’s geopolitical U-turn away from the West became more pronounced amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The country — with more than 80% of the population consistently supporting EU integration — is now increasingly aligning its policies with Moscow.
“She faced a choice: her personal obligation to Ivanishvili or her values, which are democratic. She chose to stay true to herself and the European future of her country,” said Khukhashvili.
Georgian Dream has positioned itself as the only party to avoid another war with Russia, a neighbor already occupying parts of the country.
Alleged fraud and call for new elections
The standoff reached a new level after the disputed parliamentary election in October and the government’s announcement to shelve EU accession talks. Zourabichvili, opposition parties and civil society groups accused the government of election rigging and called it “illegitimate.”
The final report of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission has voiced similar concerns over the “independence of institutions” and “pressure on voters.”
“Numerous issues noted in our final report negatively impacted the integrity of these elections and eroded public trust in the process,” said a statement released on December 20.
“There must be new, free, and fair elections. This is non-negotiable,” Zourabichvili said.
Despite calls for an international investigation, the Georgian Dream party has vehemently denied that the violations affected the outcome of the election, and accused the president and opposition parties of failing to accept the defeat.
The party went ahead and unilaterally elected a new president on December 14. Former Manchester City football star, Mikheil Kavelashvili, known for his fierce anti-Western rhetoric and enthusiasm for spreading conspiracy theories, is now set to become Georgia’s next president.
How have Western countries responded?
While some Western countries have called for an independent investigation into alleged election fraud and condemned the post-election violent crackdown, the response from the EU has been seen as rather muted. However, the US and Baltic states have introduced sanctions against some officials of the Georgian Dream party for cracking down on the protests.
On Friday, the US State Department sanctioned Ivanishvili, the main force behind the ruling Georgian Dream party, for “undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation.”
Bidzina Lebanidze, an analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics, told DW that the West’s response will likely depend on “the scale and longevity” of the ongoing protests.
However, some experts suggest Western countries may eventually acknowledge the reality on the ground and recognize the legitimacy of the ruling party.
“Signs of that were already demonstrated by the visit of the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, in Georgia, who seemed to be willing to somehow collaborate with the Georgian Dream government,” Nino Khelaia, a political scientist based in Tbilisi, told DW.
What’s next for Zourabichvili?
“I’m here, and I will remain here because this country urgently needs a legitimate institution,” Zourabichvili said in a recent public address, implying that other state institutions have been “captured “by the ruling party.
Some experts have said Zourabichvili has a unique independent position from the Georgian Dream and the opposition “to channel public discontent.” Still, the question remains whether she can make the transition from a “symbolic figurehead to a “proactive opposition leader.”
“Protesters urgently need strong political leadership, and Zourabichvili’s hesitation to fully embrace this role risks undermining the movement at a critical juncture,” said Lebanidze.
“We’ll see where she will continue living, behind bars or outside,” said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze last week, suggesting that “sending a 72-year-old Zourabichvili to prison might not be desirable for anyone.”
A showdown is expected on December 29 when Zourabichvili is supposed to cede the office to her successor. She has not made it clear whether she will physically leave the presidential palace or not, but she has promised to claim the presidency and stay in the country.
In one of her almost daily addresses to the public on Tuesday, she once again stressed her commitment.
“This constitution has been trampled upon but has endured, just as Georgia endures. I can only continue to serve and remain faithful to it.”
Edited by: Rob Mudge
