When Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili made an unannounced visit to Rustaveli Avenue, the epicentre of anti-government protests in Tbilisi, on December 14, demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament erupted into spontaneous applause and chants of “Salome! Salome!”

Her presence on the streets was more than symbolic; it resonated deeply with those who have been braving cold nights and police intimidation. During weeks of mass protests and violent clashes with law enforcers, Zourabichvili has emerged as an unexpected leader of the resistance movement against the ruling Georgian Dream party. 

A determined advocate for the country’s European aspirations, she has consistently championed Georgia’s European integration and democratic principles. 

She is now at the centre of a growing constitutional crisis. Declaring the parliament elected in October — in a vote widely criticised by Georgia’s pro-Western opposition and international observers as rigged — to be illegitimate, Zourabichvili, whose term ended on December 16, has vowed to stay on as president until a legitimate successor can be appointed. 

That puts her on a direct collision course with Georgian Dream, whose nomination for president, ultranationalist, anti-Western former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili, was appointed in a single-candidate election on December 14. 

Forged by history 

Zourabichvili, 72, is no ordinary head of state. Born in Paris to a family of Georgian exiles who fled the Soviet takeover in 1921, she has led an extraordinary life as a globe-trotting diplomat, a political underdog, and now as Georgia’s outspoken president. 

Growing up in Paris during the Cold War, Zourabichvili nurtured her connection to her Georgian heritage, despite never having visited her ancestral homeland. 

She pursued higher education at the Paris Institute of Political Studies from 1969 to 1972, followed by studies at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in New York from 1972 to 1973. 

Embarking on a diplomatic career in 1974, Zourabichvili served in various capacities within the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with postings in Italy, the US, Chad and French representations to international organisations such as the UN, Nato, the European Union and the OSCE. 

In 2003, she was appointed France’s ambassador to Georgia. A year later, an unprecedented agreement between the two nations saw her named Georgia’s foreign minister.

As foreign minister, Zourabichvili’s achievements included negotiating the withdrawal of Russian military bases — a major victory for Georgia’s sovereignty. However, her tenure was cut short after just 19 months due to political infighting. She went on to found her own political party, Georgia’s Way, though it failed to gain traction. Yet this setback did not end her political career. 

Turbulent relationship 

In 2018, she was selected as Georgian Dream’s nominee for president, and elected by popular vote. This set the stage for a turbulent relationship with Georgian Dream, which has ruled the country since 2012. 

When Georgian Dream introduced Zourabichvili as its presidential candidate, its leaders likely expected her to be a compliant figure who would advance the party’s agenda. Her international credentials and reputation as a seasoned diplomat seemed a strategic fit for bolstering the party’s image. However, this relationship began to unravel, particularly after the start of the war in Ukraine, which intensified ideological divisions over Georgia’s geopolitical alignment.

Over the past three years, Zourabichvili has emerged as one of Georgian Dream’s most prominent critics. Accusing the party of prioritising ties with Moscow over Georgia’s European future, she has positioned herself as a staunch defender of democracy and European integration. 

By October 2023, the relationship between president and ruling party had deteriorated to the point that Georgian Dream attempted to impeach her for unauthorised foreign visits. Although the effort failed due to insufficient parliamentary support, it serves as precursor to the current standoff. 

Earlier in 2024, Zourabichvili vetoed Georgian Dream’s “foreign agents” law, widely likened to Russian legislation aimed at cracking down on dissent. Accusing the government of “Russian slavery”, she has struck a chord with many Georgians fearful of backsliding from democratic values.

A president among the people

The new crisis comes amidst widespread unrest triggered by October’s parliamentary elections, which European observers criticised for voter intimidation and bribery, and the opposition alleges were influenced by Russia.

Georgian Dream has since announced a suspension of EU accession talks until at least 2028. This move fuelled unprecedented protests across the country, with Zourabichvili a key rallying figure.

Earlier this month, Zourabichvili delivered a powerful condemnation of the presidential election conducted by Georgian Dream’s electoral college, declaring it “illegitimate”. She described the election of Kavelashvili as a “travesty” that insulted Georgia’s traditions, history and culture. 

“This has no connection with any legitimate political process,” she asserted. 

Calling for new parliamentary elections as the only peaceful resolution, she declared, that the ruling Georgian Dream “cannot intimidate a people united by a shared aspiration for the country’s European future”.

Appearing among protesters on December 14, she appeared visibly moved by their response to her arrival.  She addressed reporters briefly, saying, “I have said everything and am now going to work,” before walking toward the Orbeliani Presidential Palace.

“This is our president, the president of the people,” one protester told bne IntelliNews, a sentiment echoed by others present in the crowd. 

Protesters gathering outside her residence on the evening of December 14 greeted her with cheers, once again chanting her name. “She’s on our side,” another young demonstrator, holding a Georgian flag, told bne IntelliNews. 

She made a similar direct appeal a few weeks before, addressing special forces stationed at Freedom Square. 

“It is your duty to protect the statehood of this country, to protect its citizens. It is not your duty to divide the people,” she declared. 

The crowd rallied behind her words, chanting, “Obey the commander-in-chief! Come to our side!” Her rhetorical challenge to the security forces — “Do you serve Russia or Georgia?” — was a message that resonated powerfully with demonstrators suspicious of Georgian Dream’s Moscow-leaning policies.

Diplomatic outreach 

Meanwhile, Zourabichvili’s diplomatic experience has also served her well as she reaches out to international leaders. 

On December 8, the president revealed she had engaged in “in-depth discussions” with US president-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron about Georgia’s contested elections. Sharing a photo of herself with the two leaders during her visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, she stated: “I exposed the stolen elections and the extremely alarming repression against the Georgian people.” 

Macron later called Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s founder, expressing concern about Georgia’s political trajectory. In an official statement, Macron condemned the intimidation of civil society and opposition figures, called for the release of arbitrarily detained protesters, and called for inclusive dialogue to address the crisis. 

On December 18, Zourabichvili stood before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, delivering an impassioned plea for support against the Georgian Dream’s increasingly authoritarian grip on the country. 

Speaking to MEPs, the president reiterated the protesters’ demands for the annulment of the October vote and a rerun of elections, stating: “This is the only peaceful way forward.” 

In her speech, Zourabichvili appealed to European lawmakers, urging them to advocate for Georgia’s democratic aspirations and to pressure the EU Council to intervene decisively in the unfolding political crisis. “If the EU cannot act decisively in a country of less than 4mn people, how can it hope to confront the geopolitical giants of the 21st century?” she questioned, framing Georgia’s plight as part of a broader struggle against Kremlin influence in Europe.

Her speech, punctuated by a standing ovation and Georgian flags waved by MEPs, underscored her role as a symbol of resistance to Georgian Dream and its pro-Russian policies. “Georgians will win this battle,” she declared, “not with weapons, but with bare hands, defending European values.”

As Georgia navigates its political crisis, Zourabichvili has become a determined advocate for the country’s European aspirations, engaging with world leaders while addressing the concerns of her people. In an era when public faith in political figures has eroded, Zourabichvili’s willingness to walk among the people has made her a symbol of resistance and hope for Georgia’s European aspirations. As the protests intensified, she remarked: “For the Georgian people, it’s important to see that I’m on their side.” 

The institutional clash between Zourabichvili and Georgian Dream has reached a fever pitch as her term nears its end. With Kavelashvili’s inauguration scheduled for December 29, Zourabichvili continues to defy Georgian Dream’s efforts to replace her. Her refusal to step down to make way for a man she — and many other Georgians — believes is an illegitimate successor is set to be at the centre of the next crisis looming in Georgia at the end of this month.