{"id":19157,"date":"2024-08-13T08:47:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T08:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/?p=19157"},"modified":"2024-08-13T08:47:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T08:47:00","slug":"salome-zourabichvili-a-steadfast-leader-in-turbulent-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/?p=19157","title":{"rendered":"Salome Zourabichvili: A steadfast leader in turbulent times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Salome Zourabichvili\u2019s presidency has been characterised by a clear vision for Georgia\u2019s future\u2014one that is firmly rooted in European values and democratic governance.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has been named by Emerging Europe as its Public Figure of the Year, part of the organisation\u2019s Emerging Europe Awards Programme for 2024.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zourabichvili was chosen for the award for her unwavering commitment to democratic values, the rule of law, and Georgia\u2019s hope of one day joining the European Union.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs Georgia\u2019s president, Zourabichvili\u2019s commitment to the country\u2019s European path\u2014and opposition to the government\u2019s so-called \u2018Russian\u2019 law that threatens it\u2014has been exemplary,\u201d says Craig Turp-Balazs, Emerging Europe\u2019s editor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCountless NGOs and individuals have been inspired by her stance, which offers hope that the anti-European turn taking by the ruling Georgian Dream party is not irreversible.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/emerging-europe.com\/voices\/georgia-is-caught-in-a-geopolitical-tug-of-war\/\">Georgia is caught in a geopolitical tug of war<\/a><\/li><li>\u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/emerging-europe.com\/news\/its-never-been-easier-to-pick-a-side\/\">It\u2019s never been easier to pick a side\u2019<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/emerging-europe.com\/voices\/football-protests-and-the-emergence-of-new-georgia\/\">Football, protests, and the emergence of New Georgia<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>A former French diplomat born in Paris to a Georgian family, Zourabichvili was elected to the mostly ceremonial Georgian presidency in 2018 as an independent candidate with the backing of the country\u2019s ruling Georgian Dream party.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although she comfortably won the presidency with more than 60 per cent of the vote, few initially greeted her victory with much enthusiasm, with many in the country\u2019s often fractured opposition calling her a Georgian Dream stooge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ever since Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022 however, Zourabichvili has been very publicly distancing herself from the increasingly pro-Russian Georgian Dream, so much so that in 2023, the ruling party attempted to impeach her for making what it said were \u201cunilateral, unauthorised and unconstitutional\u201d visits to major European capitals in order to drum up support for Georgia\u2019s EU membership application.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The country formally applied for EU membership in February 2022. The EU offered Georgia candidate status last December while making it clear that Tbilisi needs to implement key policy recommendations for its membership bid to progress.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In April, Georgia\u2019s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze publicly denounced Zourabichvili as a \u201ctraitor\u201d after she announced her support for the tens of thousands of Georgians protesting against a law that requires civil society organisations and print, online, and broadcast media that receive 20 per cent or more of their annual revenue\u2014either financial support or in-kind contributions\u2014from a \u201cforeign power\u201d to register with the Ministry of Justice as \u201corganisations serving the interest of a foreign power\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The law\u2019s many opponents within Georgia have dubbed it \u2018the Russian law\u2019 given its similarity to legislation in Georgia\u2019s northern neighbour, which continues to occupy some 20 per cent of Georgian territory. Many fear that the law\u2014which has been a major setback to the country\u2019s EU ambitions\u2014is a further step towards realigning Georgian foreign policy with Moscow.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zourabichvili vetoed the law, but Georgian Dream\u2019s comfortable parliamentary majority was nevertheless able to overturn the veto. The law has been in force since August 1.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt should be noted that Zourabichvili\u2019s stance and activities have always followed democratic and constitutional norms \u2013 important when standing in opposition to a government that has often resorted to practices more in keeping with less democratic societies,\u201d adds Turp-Balazs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The warm welcome that Zourabichvili has received in the major capitals of Europe is further evidence of her endeavours to preserve Georgia\u2019s EU ambitions,\u201d Emerging Europe\u2019s editor suggests. \u201cIn [Zourabichvili], Georgia has a president who leads by example and of whom they can be proud,\u201d he says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Georgian Charter&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>As Georgia heads towards decisive parliamentary elections later this year (the election is set to be held on October 26), Zourabichvili is likely to continue to do everything within her power to ensure a level playing field so that the vote of the Georgian people will be respected.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In May, Zourabichvili brought together several (hitherto often warring) major opposition groups to sign her \u2018Georgian Charter\u2019\u2014an agreement to support an interim government chosen by the president to push through the reforms necessary to restart Georgia\u2019s EU membership bid after October\u2019s parliamentary elections. One of the new government\u2019s first acts would be repeal the so-called \u201cRussian\u2019 law.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her international standing should also ensure that Georgia will receive the full support and backing of its European allies should the government attempt to override democratic norms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, on the anniversary of Russia\u2019s 2008 invasion of Georgia, US President Joe Biden wrote to &nbsp;Zourabichvili to express solidarity with the country, stating that he was, \u201cdisappointed by the Georgian government&#8217;s anti-democratic actions\u201d, exemplified by the Kremlin-style \u2018foreign agents\u2019 law and statements of Georgian Dream officials which are, he wrote, \u201cinconsistent with EU and NATO membership norms\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Georgia\u2019s last elected president?&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Zourabichvili&#8217;s six-year term expires at the end of the year. She is likely to be Georgia&#8217;s last popularly elected president for the foreseeable future. Under constitutional amendments adopted in 2017, the next president will be chosen by a college of 300 electors, including MPs and local officials.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Emerging Europe Awards 2024 is the seventh edition of a programme which showcases the best of the emerging Europe region: individuals, public and private organisations as well as projects and initiatives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Previous laureates include: Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund; European Public Prosecutor Laura Codru\u0163a K\u00f6vesi; Professor G\u00fcnter Verheugen, a former vice president of the European Commission; Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, leader of the democratic Belarusian opposition; and Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine\u2019s deputy prime minister and minister of digital transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/president.ge\/uploads_script\/news\/gallery\/eyc4ojlz0oo4302.jpg\">Georgian Presidency<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Unlike many news and information platforms,&nbsp;<em>Emerging Europe<\/em>&nbsp;is free to read, and always will be.&nbsp;There is no paywall here.&nbsp;We are independent,&nbsp;not affiliated with nor representing any political party or business&nbsp;organisation.&nbsp;We want the very best for emerging Europe, nothing more, nothing less. Your support will help us continue to spread the word about this amazing region.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You can contribute&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/emergingeurope.krtra.com\/t\/NlQnFuOA2C9c\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>. Thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/emergingeurope.krtra.com\/t\/NlQnFuOA2C9c\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/emerging-europe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/copy-of-add-a-heading.png\" alt=\"emerging europe support independent journalism\" class=\"wp-image-50811\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color is-style-wide\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Salome Zourabichvili\u2019s presidency has been characterised by a clear vision for Georgia\u2019s future\u2014one that is firmly rooted in European values and democratic governance.\u00a0 Georgian President Salome<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[7719,7718,6633,379,7248,6603,7347,420],"class_list":["post-19157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","tag-emerging-europe-awards-2024","tag-emerging-europe-public-figure-of-the-year","tag-european-union","tag-georgia","tag-georgian-dream","tag-russia","tag-salome-zourabichvili","tag-ukraine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19157"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19157\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reinvantage-dev.eonserver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}