Former footballer Mikhail Kavelashvili is going to be the president of Georgia. The country's parliament has finalized Kavelashvili's appointment in the face of continuous protests against the European Union in the country. He is scheduled to officially take office on December 29.

The former striker played 46 matches for Georgia. He also played for Manchester City in the English Premier League. Kavelashvili joined politics after retiring from football.

Kavelashvili is known to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was first elected as an MP in 2016. Kavelashvili became one of the main faces of the anti-government mass movement that began in Georgia in 2022. However, they later reached a political agreement with the Georgian Dream. Relations between the two countries deteriorated after the Russia-Georgia conflict in 2008.

Georgia has been in turmoil again in recent days with political movements. Unrest has begun between the pro-Russian government and the pro-Western opposition. The unrest was centered around the election. Kavelashvili was the only candidate for the presidency. Because the country's four main opposition parties withdrew, questioning the legitimacy of the election. He was not elected through a general election. In the current situation, he was elected by the 300-member Electoral College, consisting of members of Georgia's parliament and representatives of local administration. As a result, Kavelashvili did not have any particular problems getting elected. Although he stood as an independent candidate, he was supported by Georgian Dream.

Kavelashvili has played football for several teams in the Swiss league in addition to the EPL. From 1995 to 1997, he was a striker for Manchester City. He played 28 matches and scored 3 goals. His number of goals in international football is 9. He retired from international football in 2002.