"Eesti 200's position is that second terms in high state offices have not proven justified, which also concerns the chancellor of justice and the auditor general," Tsahkna said on an ERR broadcast Monday. "We have proposed extending the term of office from five to seven years to avoid stagnation and the temptation to think about reelection. An honest solution would be for us to have new presidents."

Tsahkna added that Eesti 200 has not yet formed an official position on this year's presidential election, but statements made by Karis recently do not encourage the party's MPs to vote for him.

Speaking on the same program, Reinsalu said the foreign minister has turned foreign policy into an extension of domestic politics.

"I'll give an example: the Ukraine reconstruction conference that Estonia is set to host next year. It should take place in the summer, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued guidance for it to be held before the parliamentary elections. We're turning major strategic matters into loose change for domestic politics," Reinsalu said.

Reinsalu to Tsahkna: This is 'minion-Orbánism'

Reinsalu said the foreign minister is using psychological pressure against the president to force him to give up running again.

"Yes, Mr. Tsahkna, 'Orbánism' is when you want to turn the civil service into fixed-term appointments or fire officials for telling the truth — whether it's someone from the Chancellery of the Riigikogu or the Ministry of Climate. 'Orbánism' is also the desire to stack the ERR supervisory board with your own people before elections," Reinsalu said.

"You are concerned with entrenching your own power and, having lost authority in society, you are using psychological pressure against the president. The purpose of your information operation is to make Karis withdraw from the race. This is 'minion-Orbánism': the neutralization of independent institutions."

Tsahkna responded by suggesting Reinsalu look in the mirror, saying the latter's talk about conferences and threats amounted to rumors.

"You are a spreader of rumors. One of your rumors was that Karis and the prime minister discussed my personal situation — both confirmed that this did not happen. That may give you a populist tailwind, but it does not give you credibility," Tsahkna said.

According to the foreign minister, no directive has been issued regarding the Ukraine reconstruction conference requiring it to take place before the elections.

"It will take place when Ukraine decides. For me, it is embarrassing that such rumors are already circulating in the city and even in Ukraine," Tsahkna said.

Tsahkna also said that Estonia's president must have a feel for society and does not have to be merely a specialist in a single field.

"However, in today's turbulent world it would be beneficial for Estonia's security to have a head of state with personal breakthrough ability and personal contacts with other heads of state, as President Toomas Hendrik Ilves had. It is important that, as a country, we speak with one voice externally, even if we squabble internally. Today, unfortunately, that unified message is beginning to erode," Tsahkna said.

Reinsalu responded that Tsahkna had fallen into a trap with his line of argument.

"Ilves said in the same interview that both the foreign minister and the prime minister also failed to clear the bar. As for the incumbent president, he has five years of experience representing the state. The notion that a president must not face the public is dangerous. In the current crisis of trust, it is important that the president has the trust of society. Squandering that through political intrigues is not reasonable," Reinsalu said. He added that Isamaa is therefore ready to support Karis's reelection.

"In addition, he is the only senior state official who has been in office since the start of the war in Ukraine — this experience should not be dismissed lightly. The hostility toward Karis in fact goes back to the fall of 2023, when he advised the prime minister to resign over a scandal. What we are seeing now is a resonant act of revenge," Reinsalu said.

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