How do you comment on President Alar Karis' confrontation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Is this part of a presidential election campaign and does it signal that the coalition parties — Eesti 200 and the Reform Party — do not wish for Karis to continue as president?

Estonia has been one of the boldest and most outspoken supporters of Ukraine in the world. Our values-based positions have therefore been appreciated and taken seriously. In addition, Estonia has set a clear example in terms of assistance to Ukraine. We have provided significant military aid from the very first day of the full-scale invasion and continue to be one of Ukraine's largest military donors per capita.

Most importantly, we have shown unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have also firmly advocated for raising the cost of aggression as high as possible and for holding the aggressor accountable for its actions. Estonia's foreign policy line has been to convey this message to all our allies and that is how all spokespeople for foreign policy should act.

As the speaker of the Riigikogu, I naturally consider it essential that Estonia's foreign policy course remain unified, clear and understandable to our allies.

As for whether the interviews given to foreign media are connected to the presidential elections, only Alar Karis can answer that.

In light of the Karis incident, it seems the coalition will have a hard time finding common ground with the opposition, especially since the Center Party has clearly stated it would support Karis for a second term. In your view, is it possible to elect a president in the Riigikogu?

Electing the president in the Riigikogu is one of the constitutional responsibilities assigned to the parliament. Given the requirement for a two-thirds majority vote, it certainly means that broad consensus must be sought.

Can you name a few potential candidates who have been discussed in the Riigikogu corridors as possible contenders or who might be approached to run?

On Tuesday, February 10, the Riigikogu Council of Elders will convene to begin discussions on organizing the presidential election. At the moment, a draft amendment to the President of the Republic Election Act is also awaiting its third reading in the Riigikogu, which shows that the question of specific candidates is still premature.

How far along is the process of establishing a parliamentary committee to investigate the proceedings involving Elmar Vaher and Eerik Heldna?

The bill submitted by a member of the Riigikogu has been referred to the Constitutional Committee for discussion. The committee chair is the one best positioned to comment on the progress of the proceedings.

Daiga Mieriņa, Latvia's parliament speaker, said that U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson asked for support in giving U.S. president Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize. According to Mieriņa, she signed a letter to the Nobel Committee calling for Trump to receive the prize, even though it was already awarded to Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado. At the same time, it's known that the speaker of the Polish parliament refused to sign that letter and as a result the U.S. ambassador in Warsaw cut off all communication with him.

Have you also been asked to sign such a letter? If so, how did you react or how do you plan to respond? What is your personal view on such a request and on the letter to the Nobel Committee urging that Trump should receive the Peace Prize?

The joint letter among the U.S. and Israeli speakers is part of normal diplomatic correspondence between parliamentary leaders, within which information is exchanged and proposals for joint actions or initiatives are sometimes made. We have a good working relationship with the U.S. House Speaker and value frequent communication and cooperation.

We are aware of the U.S.–Israel joint proposal. Certainly, President Trump would be a very serious candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize if, as a result of his efforts, a just and lasting peace were achieved in Ukraine, the aggressor were held accountable and NATO allied relations remained strong.

Within Eesti 200 there have been discussions about whether to hold the party's general assembly in the spring. It's also unclear whether, beyond elections for the board, elections should be held for party chair. What is your position here? Should Eesti 200 hold its general assembly already in the spring and, in addition to electing the board, also elect a chair?

The organization and timing of elections for the party's leadership bodies are decided by the party board, in accordance with the party's statutes.

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