Protesters take to the streets after inauguration of Georgia’s new president

In Georgia, Mikheil Kavelashvili, an ally of the ruling party, has been sworn in as president amid protests in Tbilisi, marking the final step in what critics call state capture by pro-Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. The US imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili for undermining democracy, with outgoing president Salome Zourabichvili denouncing Kavelashvili’s inauguration as a “parody” and demanding new elections, following a year of political upheaval in the country. Opposition parties rejected the results of October’s parliamentary elections, leading to increased protests and a crackdown by authorities, as Georgia faces an authoritarian slide under the ruling party’s control.

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