Georgian President highlights “primary motivation” to restore presidential institution within constitutional framework

The Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung conducted an interview with Georgia’s newly elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili, where he addressed key issues such as internal and external pressure, political tensions in the country, and their underlying causes.

“We are a parliamentary republic, and according to the constitution, the role of the president is non-partisan. My predecessor placed herself beyond this role, creating unrealistic expectations in society. That was not the correct approach. I want to be a President for all citizens. My primary motivation is to restore the presidential institution within the constitutional framework”, the President noted.

He further added that political tensions were nothing new.

“In the early 90s, we experienced a civil war, something my generation and the older generation remember well. Back then, external forces were not friendly toward us, and unfortunately, we failed to prevent the war. The government is aware of these risks and is acting wisely. The current crisis is artificially induced”, he continued.

When asked what he meant by “artificial”, the President explained that countries undergoing democratic transformation often face such situations, but civil war can only happen if it is externally fueled. He believes the Russia-Ukraine war has exacerbated tensions in Georgia.

Focusing on the war in Ukraine, Kavelashvili revealed that shortly after the conflict began, foreign government representatives urged Georgia to engage in the war against Russia.

“Senior Ukrainian officials demanded that we send volunteers, join sanctions against Russia, and even supply weapons - no matter how absurd that may sound. Given our history of armed conflicts with Russia, the most recent in 2008, and the fact that parts of our territory remain occupied, we refused. We are neither an EU nor a NATO member, and involvement in the war would have been disastrous for us. That’s why we faced pressure, primarily regarding our EU candidate status”, the President noted.

Kavelashvili highlighted that among the three EU membership candidate countries - Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia - Georgia had fulfilled the required reforms better than any other - yet, Georgia was denied candidate status at first, which he said was “inexplicable”.

In response to these pressures, Kavelashvili, along with other MPs, formed an independent political group called People’s Power to inform the Georgian public about these external influences.

“Back then, anti-government protests were already taking place. However, the key question remains - what would have happened to Georgia had we complied with those demands? We see the answer in Ukraine, which, despite significant international support, has been unable to stop Russia. Our decision was bold - it meant Georgia’s survival. There is no alternative to peace”, Kavelashvili said.

He further emphasised that recent developments, particularly Donald Trump’s victory, had reinforced Georgia’s stance.

“Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio are now echoing what we have always said. The claims that we engaged in anti-American or anti-Western actions are nothing but disinformation”, the President concluded.