"We discussed the situation around the presidential election within the Eesti 200 board and parliamentary group. As a result, it is fair to say that the majority of our MPs do not support President Alar Karis continuing in office. It has also been known for some time that he lacks sufficient support in other factions, and therefore his re-election in the Riigikogu is not possible," Kallas explained.

She noted that under the Constitution, electing the president is the responsibility of parliament, meaning discussions must move beyond a single candidate and consider other suitable individuals who could gather the required votes.

"In reality, some parties represented in parliament have already excluded themselves from this process by lining up behind candidates who have no genuine chance of being nominated or elected," said the Eesti 200 leader.

According to Kallas, discussions in the media have most often emphasized that the next president should have foreign policy experience.

"Members of Eesti 200 believe it is equally important that the candidate clearly shares the values on which our foreign policy has been based since the time of Lennart Meri. Such a candidate should stand for the Estonian state and the freedoms of all our people, understand our cultural and intellectual place in Europe, represent us as a developed Western country, defend liberal democracy, and look firmly to the future in their actions," Kallas said.

At least 68 votes in parliament are required to elect a president. Eesti 200 holds 13 seats.

President Alar Karis has not announced whether he intends to run for a second term. It is also possible that, given his limited chances in parliament, he may instead choose to run in the electoral college. Arnold Rüütel did the same at the end of his term, opting not to run in parliament in 2006 and standing only in the electoral college, where he ultimately lost to Toomas Hendrik Ilves (Ilves received 174 votes and Rüütel 162).

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!