♦ Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili (53) became president of Georgia on 14 December 2024. 224 out of 225 members of Georgia's electoral college voted for him. 
♦ He was elected to parliament in 2016 on the Georgian Dream ticket, and in 2022 co-founded the People’s Power political movement, which was allied with Georgian Dream and became known for its strong anti-Western rhetoric.