On December 29, 2024, Mikheil was sworn in as the new president of Georgia in a ceremony held in Parliament, Tbilisi. This took place amid ongoing protests and the refusal of outgoing President Salome to accept Mikheil’s legitimacy. Despite the swearing-in ceremony, Salome, a pro-Western leader, remained defiant, telling hundreds of supporters outside the presidential palace that she was leaving the official residence but still considered herself the legitimate president.

Salome criticized the event, calling it a “parody” and asserting that Mikheil’s election was flawed. She claimed the election, held in October, was marred by fraud, and she demanded a new vote. However, the ruling Georgian Dream party, which holds a majority in the parliament, and the election commission have both confirmed that the election was free and fair.

Mikheil, a 53-year-old former national footballer, took an oath on the Bible and the Georgian constitution, pledging to serve the country’s interests during this period of political crisis. Despite his swearing-in, there were no major protests outside the parliamentary buildings at the time.

The Georgian Dream party, which also controls the parliament, has insisted that Mikheil is the duly elected president. The government had earlier threatened Salome with imprisonment if she refused to vacate the presidential residence in Tbilisi.

The political crisis escalated after the Georgian Dream-led government froze talks regarding Georgia’s EU membership, sparking widespread protests. The opposition accuses the ruling party of shifting Georgia’s alignment towards Moscow, away from its long-standing aspirations of joining the European Union.