Georgia’s pro-Western president Zourabichvili refuses to leave and prepares for showdown

She was seen as aligned with the ruling party, unpopular with many young people, and she blamed a short war with Russia in 2008 on Georgia allowing itself to be provoked.

But as her presidential term progressed, Georgian Dream took an increasingly authoritarian and anti-Western turn, cracking down on civil society and NGOs. It refused to join Western sanctions on Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and called the West the “global war party”, making a mockery of its stated aim of joining the EU and Nato.

Zourabichvili openly defied the government, believing she had the support of the majority of Georgia’s population.

She pledged to veto a bill on “foreign influence” that mirrored Russian legislation passed under President Vladimir Putin, but the government passed it anyway, defying weeks of protests.

“The choice for Georgia is between independence or slavery, Europe or Russia,” she said in April.

She has often addressed the protesters who have turned out every night for a month outside parliament, casting them as the conscience of the nation against a Russia-friendly government.

Last month she asked riot police, accused by the opposition of brutalising protesters: “Are you serving Russia or Georgia?”

Many protesters, initially distrustful of the president for coming to power with Georgian Dream’s backing, came to respect her outspoken opposition.

“No-one expected her to be this good. She reflects our values,” said Irakli, a 34-year-old who has been regularly demonstrating. “She motivates us to fight.”

Ahead of October’s contested elections, the government tried to impeach her for meeting EU leaders without government authorisation. Ultimately the effort failed but it was an indication of the showdown to come.

Zourabichvili called the elections, which returned Georgian Dream to power, “totally falsified”. She backed opposition parties’ calls for a re-run, drawing the ire of senior party leaders.