Presidential Elections in Georgia: Enter the Non-Charismatic Leader

Author(s): Tornike Sharashenidze
Editor(s): Robert Orttung (special editor), Denis Dafflon, Lili Di Puppo, Iris Kempe, Natia Mestvirishvili, Matthias Neumann, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines
Series: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD)
Issue: 56
Pages: 5-7
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Publication Year: 2013

The recent presidential elections in Georgia took place in an unusually calm atmosphere. No one seriously questioned the final outcome and international observers appeared more satisfied than ever. This is good news for Georgia-the country no doubt has made significant progress. However, it still remains to be seen whether this positive atmosphere was the product of political maturity or the simple fact that the presidential elections no longer are as important as they once were and that the favorite had no real rivals. The elections also resulted in one big change: both charismatic President Mikheil Saakashvili and widely admired Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili are out and Georgia is going to be ruled by rather ordinary leaders (just like in normal European democracies). If this progress is sustainable and if Georgians are already prepared for such a development, then soon the country will enter an age of true parliamentarian democracy.

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