PM floats Kersti Kaljulaid for presidential comeback
Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said former President Kersti Kaljulaid could run for a second term this fall, though no one has discussed the idea with her directly.
Speaking Thursday, Michal said Kaljulaid could be a viable candidate as parties increasingly turn their attention to the presidential election later this year.
"I think so, yes, Kersti Kaljulaid could be," he said when asked whether she should be nominated as a candidate.
Under Estonia's system, a presidential candidate needs at least 68 votes in the 101-seat Riigikogu to be elected, making cross-party backing essential.
Michal said discussions among parties are likely to intensify as incumbent Alar Karis does not currently appear to have enough parliamentary support for reelection.
"There is no official proposal at this point," he stressed, but added that the Riigikogu may soon have to begin actively searching for a candidate. "So that debate is expected to unfold in the coming months."
'Our goal is a good president'
The Reform chair also stressed his party doesn't intend to dominate that process, saying the priority should be finding a "strong, values-based" candidate.
"I believe our goal should be a good president for Estonia," Michal said.
The idea of nominating Kaljulaid was first floated publicly this week by MP and fellow Reform member Eerik-Niiles Kross, who argued she could have a better chance of securing parliamentary backing than Karis.
Michal had also voiced support for Kaljulaid on social media following her unsuccessful bid for reelection as president of the Estonian Olympic Committee (EOK).
No one else consulted yet
Despite the growing speculation, however, people close to the former head of state say no direct discussions about Kaljulaid's possible run for a second term have taken place.
"No politicians have discussed this with her," said former presidential adviser Taavi Linnamäe, the current head of the Kersti Kaljulaid Foundation.
Social Democratic Party (SDE) chair Lauri Läänemets also said Thursday that his party has received no signals from Reform about formally nominating Kaljulaid.
Läänemets has previously said his party's support could prove decisive if the Riigikogu hopes to elect a president without ceding the process to the electoral college.
Kersti Kaljulaid served as president of Estonia from 2026 to 2021, and did not seek a second term at the time. From 2024 to 2026, she served as president of the EOK.
--
Editor: Marko Tooming, Aili Vahtla
