President: It would take a small miracle to convince me to run for a second term
President Alar Karis, in office since October 11, 2021, signaled he likely won't seek a second term, saying a seven-year single term would be ideal.
"It's hard to say what will happen. What I can say is that it would take a small miracle to convince me to run," President Alar Karis said Thursday on Vikerraadio in response to a question from Mirko Ojakivi on whether he would seek a second term or whether Estonia would have a new president.
According to Karis, the decision of whether to run for a second term is his alone — not one for politicians to make.
"No politician decides my future. I believe this is a decision I will make myself, just as I always have."
Karis added that before running for anything, one must have clarity about their chances and whether they truly want it at that moment.
"As I said, it would take a miracle for me to say yes. But miracles do happen in life. After all, on August 6 last time, I had no idea I might become president. And on August 31, I was elected," he said, leaving the door slightly open to the possibility of running again.
Karis also reiterated that the presidency should ideally be a single seven-year term.
"That might be quite enough. Then a new president comes in. It would spare the incumbent from having to spend the middle of their term wondering whether they'll be re-elected or even want it."
He pointed out that every time a new president is elected in Estonia, it gives the impression that they are the first president not chosen by the public.
"In reality, not a single president in Estonia has ever been elected by the people. They've all been chosen by the parliament."
Karis implied that he personally favors direct presidential elections, but since there's no political consensus on the issue, there's no point in taking the proposal to the Riigikogu.
"The presidency is really part of a broader story — what is the role of the president in today's parliamentary state? We see that in our neighboring countries, the role varies widely. To the average person, it might even be hard to understand why, say, one president dissolves parliament, while ours sits in Kadriorg and doesn't seem to act. These roles are very different even in countries not far from us. So if you start comparing Trump or Putin to the Estonian president, it's an entirely different world," Karis said.
Estonia's next presidential election will take place in late summer or early fall next year, depending on whether a president can be elected by the Riigikogu or later by the electoral college. The presidential term is five years.
Alar Karis was elected president of Estonia in the second round of voting in the Riigikogu on August 31, 2021, receiving 72 votes. He assumed office on October 11.
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Editor: Urmet Kook, Marcus Turovski
