Georgia selected Mikheil Kavelashvili as its next president amid ongoing protests backed by the current head of state over the government’s pivot towards Russia. Kavelashvili, a former footballer and lawmaker for the ruling Georgian Dream party, won 224 votes unopposed for the largely ceremonial role. Last week, the US State Department imposed visa restrictions on 20 Georgian citizens, including MPs, government, and law enforcement officials, for undermining democracy.