The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) has announced Salome Zourabichvili, ex-President of Georgia, as its 2025 Kissinger Fellow. Zourabichvili, who served as Georgia’s president from 2018 to the end of 2024 and was also the first female foreign minister, is recognized for her steadfast advocacy for democracy and her country’s European and NATO aspirations.
McCain Institute reports that during her presidency, Zourabichvili has championed democratic reforms and openly opposed the Georgian Dream (GD) government’s autocratic shifts, including vetoing its Kremlin-inspired “foreign agent law.” She recently declared the October 2024 parliamentary elections illegitimate, citing voter intimidation and manipulation. The GD government’s decision to suspend EU accession negotiations sparked nationwide protests, met with violent crackdowns and arrests. Standing with the democratic movement, Zourabichvili has refused to recognize the recent election of GD-aligned footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili as Georgia’s president, describing the process as unconstitutional and illegitimate.
The McCain Institute highlighted Zourabichvili’s courage and dedication to democracy. “President Zourabichvili embodies political courage and the Kissinger Fellowship’s ideals of statesmanship,” said Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director of the McCain Institute. “She has shown democratic strength in the face of violent repression and autocratic takeover. As a Kissinger Fellow, she will continue to lead efforts to return Georgia to a democratic path.”
Zourabichvili expressed her gratitude, stating, “In a time of struggle between autocracies and democracies, it is critical to stand with democratic actors fighting on the frontlines. Georgia embodies this struggle, which Senator John McCain worked a lifetime to defend.”
As the 2025 Kissinger Fellow, Zourabichvili will leverage her extensive diplomatic and leadership experience to advocate for new elections and restore Georgia’s democratic trajectory, continuing Senator McCain’s legacy of principled, strategic leadership in defense of freedom and democracy.
