Former soccer star set to become Georgia's president in a blow to country's EU aspirations

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — A former soccer star is set to become president of Georgia on Saturday as the ruling party consolidates its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s European aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.

The ruling Georgian Dream party retained control of Parliament in the South Caucasus nation by winning 89 of 150 seats in an Oct. 26 vote widely seen as a referendum on integration into Europe. The opposition has accused Georgian Dream of rigging the vote with Moscow’s help. It has boycotted parliamentary sessions and demanded new elections.

In the meantime, former Premier League striker Mikheil Kavelashvili, 53, is expected to easily win Saturday’s vote given the ruling party’s control of a 300-seat electoral college made up of members of Parliament, municipal councils and regional legislatures. That college replaced direct presidential election in a 2017 constitutional reform.

Georgian Dream has vowed to continue pushing toward EU accession but also wants to “reset” ties with Russia.

In 2008 Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which led to Moscow’s recognition of two breakaway regions as independent, and an increase in the Russian military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Critics have accused Georgian Dream — established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia — of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow, accusations the ruling party has denied. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.

Pro-Western Salome Zourabichvili has been president since 2018 and has vowed to stay on after her six-year term ends Monday, describing herself as the only legitimate leader until a new election is held.

Georgian Dream's decision last month to suspend talks on their country's bid to join the European Union added to the opposition's outrage and galvanized protests.

Zourabichvili, 72, was born in France to parents with Georgian roots and had a successful career with the French Foreign Ministry before President Mikheil Saakashvili named her Georgia's top diplomat in 2004.

Constitutional changes made the president’s job largely ceremonial before Zourabichvili was elected by popular vote with Georgian Dream's support in 2018. She became sharply critical of the ruling party, accusing it of pro-Russia policies, and Georgian Dream unsuccessfully tried to impeach her.

“I remain your president — there is no legitimate Parliament and thus no legitimate election or inauguration,” she has declared on the social network X. “My mandate continues.”

Speaking to The Associated Press, Zourabichvili rejected government claims that the opposition was fomenting violence.

“We are not demanding a revolution," Zourabichvili said. “We are asking for new elections, but in conditions that will ensure that the will of the people will not be misrepresented or stolen again.”

“Georgia has been always resisting Russian influence and will not accept having its vote stolen and its destiny stolen,” she said.

Georgian Dream nominated Kavelashvili — mocked by the opposition for lacking higher education. He was a striker in the Premier League for Manchester City and in several clubs in the Swiss Super League. 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 become known for its strong anti-Western rhetoric.

Kavelashvili was one of the authors of a controversial law requiring organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interest of a foreign power,” similar to a Russian law used to discredit organizations critical of the government.

The EU, which granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that the country meets the bloc’s recommendations, put its accession on hold and cut financial support in June following approval of the “foreign influence” law.

Thousands of demonstrators converged on the Parliament building every night after the government announced the suspension of EU accession talks on Nov. 28.

Riot police used water cannons and tear gas almost daily to disperse and beat scores of protesters, some of whom threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the capital’s central boulevard.

Hundreds were detained and over 100 treated for injuries.

Several journalists were beaten by police and media workers accused authorities of using thugs to deter people from attending anti-government rallies, which Georgian Dream denies.

The crackdown has drawn strong condemnation from the United States and EU officials.

FILE - FIFA World Stars team's Mikheil Kavelashvili, right, makes a shot on the goal during the Reunification Cup against Chinese national team in Hong Kong, on July 1, 2007. (AP Photo/Brian Ching, File)

FILE - A protester shouts during a rally demanding new parliamentary elections in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov, File)

FILE - In this photo provided by the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the Georgian Dream party, which he initiated, applauds Mikheil Kavelashvili during a session discussing presidential candidates in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Nov. 27, 2024. (Georgian Dream party via AP, File)

FILE - Demonstrators rally outside the parliament's building to protest the government's decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze, File)

FILE - Police shoot tear gas towards demonstrators during a protest against the government's decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in Tbilisi, Georgia, early Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, File)

FILE - Police try to detain a protester during a rally against the results of the parliamentary elections amid allegations that the vote was rigged in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze, File)

FILE - Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, center, is greeted by well-wishers as she attends an opposition protest against the results of the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Oct. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze, File)

FILE - Mikheil Kavelashvili, who was nominated by the governing Georgian Dream party as a candidate for president, attends a news conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Feb. 14, 2019. (AP Photo, File)

Last year, when Lauren Haydel began her first sober holiday season, she wondered how difficult it would be to avoid alcohol at family parties and celebrations with friends. She owns a boutique, Fleurty Girl, in New Orleans’ French Quarter, a neighborhood synonymous with drinking.

But few people questioned her choice. “Instead of them asking me why,” Haydel says, “they ask me, ’Oh, do you feel better?'”

Many friends told her they’re considering avoiding alcohol themselves.

Sobriety has been having a moment, says Jessica Jeboult, founder of the website and online community A Sober Girl’s Guide.

“This is the ultimate time to rediscover or change your relationship with alcohol,” she says. With so many alcohol-free products available and growing awareness about the benefits of staying sober, “there is maximum support.”

If you are planning to stay sober this holiday season, here are tips from sober coaches, sober bar managers and happily sober people:

“Having something in your hand just ups your comfort level, because you feel like you’re socializing with this thing in your hand, instead of standing there with your hands at your side,” says Abby Ehmann, who owns Hekate Cafe and Elixir Lounge, a sober bar on New York City’s Lower East Side.

It can help to choose your alcohol-free options in advance. If you prefer something that reminds you of alcohol, sample some of the many non-alcoholic wines and beers on the market (they’re not all equally tasty) and check which are on the menu at a bar or restaurant you’ll be visiting.

If you’ll be hosting a party or attending one at someone’s home, you also can mix up your own mocktail recipes in advance.

“Treat these drinks like they’re really special,” says Vermont-based chef Suzanne Podhaizer, who makes an assortment of mocktails when she entertains.

Don’t forget the garnish, she says: “Consider putting a sugar rim on your glasses or using luster dust on top. The more you make the non-alcoholic drinks feel celebratory, the better people are going to feel.”

Mocktails also make great hostess gifts. Mix up a batch of your favorite recipe, pour it into a large Mason jar and tie it with a ribbon to bring with you.

This year, plan to gather somewhere other than a bar. It’s the perfect season “to have some lovely hot chocolates, take them outdoors and go ice skating,” says Kate Baily, a women’s health coach in the U.K. and host of the podcast Love Sober.

If you’re invited to an event that is all about drinking, give yourself permission to skip it, says Adam Cannon, a real estate agent in Pittsburgh who has been sober for 18 years.

In his industry, “at this time of year, there’s a different networking event every night of the week,” Cannon says. He opts not to go if “ostensibly, it’s about networking, but it’s at a bar. People are getting hammered.”

Even if it’s your habit to stay out late, “you don’t have to do what you’ve always done at this particular Christmas party,” Haydel says. Drop in for the first hour, then allow yourself to leave when you wish.

You won’t miss much. “There’s a witching hour when you’re out at a bar or drinking with friends,” Jeboult says. “When people get past two drinks, three drinks, the stories are the same.”

If need be, slip out without explanation. Whether you call it a “French exit” or an “Irish goodbye,” it’s totally an option.

If you’re feeling stressed during a holiday gathering, “take a time out,” Jeboult says. Escape to the bathroom, step outside for a minute or go for a walk.

Snack breaks help, too. Jay Bridwell, a recovery counselor at Red Rock Behavioral Health in Oklahoma City, often uses the acronym HALT with patients in addiction recovery. If you are “Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired,” he says, you may be more likely to reach for alcohol. So build in time for rest and meals.

And have a plan if things get tough. Whether it’s an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, a sober relative or a group text with healthy friends, stay connected with people who will support you, Bridwell says. You can also join an online sober group and follow sobriety-related social media accounts.

Map out multiple transportation options, rather than relying on one person for a ride home from a party. You’ll have less stress, and feel less motivated to temper stress with alcohol, if you have the freedom to leave when you wish.

During her first sober holiday season last year, Haydel reveled in meaningful conversations and the joy of waking up feeling good each morning with clear memories of the night before.

“Sobriety is the gift that you keep on giving to your future self over and over and over again,” says Eliott Edge, who manages Hekate, the sober bar.

Focus on enjoying this very real gift, Baily says. Take your time getting dressed, visualizing yourself having a great time, and imagine how you’ll feel as your head hits the pillow when you get home.

As a finishing touch, plan a reward for the next day. Maybe a breakfast date with a friend or a morning walk in the park that will feel especially good because you won’t be hung over.

“You’ve got the best bits of the evening,” Baily says, “and there are no costs.”

This combination of photos shows mocktail drinks Blackberry Smash, made with muddled blackberries, rosemary simple syrup and half club soda and tonic water, left, and a Fall Apple Spritz made with apple cider, orange and lime juice, seasoned simple syrup, topped with a dehydrated apple slice and a cinnamon stick, made at a mocktail class in Waitsfield, VT. on Oct. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Lessard)

This image released by Hekate Cafe & Elixir Lounge in New York shows their classic mocktail called The Healer. (Melissa Ulto/Hekate Cafe & Elixir Lounge via AP)

This July 1, 2019 photo shows Lauren Minichiello, 11, holding a Rose Martini mocktail at a restaurant in Harwich, Mass. (Erin Minichiello via AP)

This 2021 image shows a Tepache mocktail made with cilantro simple syrup and fresh cilantro. (Suzanne Podhaizer via AP)

This combination of photos released by Hekate Cafe & Elixir Lounge in New York shows their classic mocktail called The Healer, left, and an exterior view of the cafe and lounge. (Melissa Ulto/Hekate Cafe & Elixir Lounge via AP)

Bartender Patty Burns conducts a mocktail making class in Waitsfield, Vt., on Oct. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Lessard)

Bartender Patty Burns makes a drink called the Fall Apple Spritz, made with a spiced simple syrup, orange juice, lime juice, apple cider and club soda, during a mocktail making class in Waitsfield, Vt., on Oct. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Lessard)

This 2021 image shows a strawberry-basil tonic mocktail. (Suzanne Podhaizer via AP)