Hanso, 54, incoming Estonian ambassador to the U.S. and a former politician, said on Tuesday he was ready to run for the presidency in September if he was asked to, adding he would make a good head of state.

The two parties which have not declared in favor of any candidate yet, Isamaa and the Center Party, similarly would not rule Hanso in or out.

Lauri Laats, chairman of Center's Riigikogu group, told "Aktuaalne kaamera" the news is welcome in that the party has always striven for a range of candidates to choose from While the party has not discussed a possible Hanso presidential bid yet, it considers him a highly worthy candidate, Laats added.

It is still too early to say whether Center would back Hanso if nomination signatures from other parties' MPs started to be gathered. "We are still waiting for more candidates, and we will certainly make our decision sometime in August," Laats said.

Isamaa's leader, Urmas Reinsalu, said the party has not discussed Hanso's possible candidacy, but also spoke favorably of Hanso.

"It is encouraging when people feel ready to take on such a mission and say so clearly. Isamaa has not discussed his candidacy, but he is certainly a credible person with diplomatic experience. At this stage, we are not taking any exclusionary positions," Reinsalu said.

Hanso, a former MP and a former defense minister, used to belong to the Social Democrats (SDE). However, his former party-mates have not ditched their preferred candidate, Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise, in favor of Hanso, following his announcement.

"As for Hannes Hanso, he is certainly a worthy candidate and his name has come up in various discussions before. Our current preliminary assessment is that his support base in parliament is not as broad as Ülle Madise's," said Tanel Kiik, SDE's vice chair.

With 37 seats and 68 or more votes needed at the 101-seat Riigikogu to elect a president, support from the Reform Party is essential for any candidate to have a realistic chance.

Reform's secretary general, Kristo Enn Vaga, told "Aktuaalne kaamera" that the party continues to back a Madise candidacy, and effectively ruled out Hanso.

"Hannes Hanso is a very capable ambassador, and I wish him every success in Washington, in his next posting," Vaga said.

"The Reform Party supports Ülle Madise's candidacy, as do two other parliamentary parties – the Social Democrats and Eesti 200. We would now like to hear the position of the Center Party, EKRE and, why not, Isamaa. If one of these were to support Ülle Madise's candidacy, it would be mathematically sure that she would get elected at the Riigikogu," Vaga said.

While Madise has said she has not given her consent to anyone to run, Reform says it would only consider other proposed candidates if Madise declines.

In 2021, Alar Karis was elected unopposed, whereas in 2016 Kersti Kaljulaid was only elected after a lengthy process which reached its final stage, with the Riigikogu's Council of Elders. Parties this time around have expressed a desire to avoid both scenarios.

The official nomination window for candidates is August 21-24, with the first round of Riigikogu voting to follow on September 2.

Other figures who have announced a willingness to run are businessman Indrek Laul, EU official Maive Rute and retired military officer Riho Ühtegi, while several other names have been floated – in most cases these figures have indicated they would not like to run. Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) co-founder and MP Mart Helme is the only candidate to have been formally put forward by a party so far.

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