Both Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu and Social Democrats (SDE) leader Lauri Läänemets have called for the Riigikogu's Council of Elders to be convened immediately to discuss the presidential candidates.

"I would hope that, for the sake of the quality of the discussion, all the parties that come to the Council of Elders meeting will already have a very clear position on who their potential candidate will be in the upcoming election, so that the discussion can be substantive and productive," Hussar, who also sits on the Council of Elders, said.

The Council consists of Hussar, his two deputy speakers, and the heads of all six Riigikogu party factions, and oversees the electoral process.

The first three ballots take place September 2-3, and if they fail to lead to a new president being elected, the process moves to a regional electoral college.

A minimum of 68 votes is required at the 101-seat Riigikogu to elect a president there. Also key is the number of signatures — one per MP — required to put forward a presidential candidate. This number is 21, meaning the Reform Party, with 37 seats, is the only party which can nominate a candidate on its own, but has insufficient seats to elect a president.

Prime Minister and Reform Party leader Kristen Michal has stated more than once that the party supports Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise as a candidate. With Reform's coalition partner Eesti 200, plus the opposition Social Democrats in favor of her candidacy, this would translate to sufficient electoral votes.

However, Madise herself has not given her consent to run — a necessary preliminary.

"We have spoken with Ülle Madise, and we will certainly be continuing those discussions. The decision on whether she agrees to run for president is hers to make, and she will also be the one to announce it publicly. She knows that this expectation exists. I think not only from us, but also from the wider public," Michal told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

The opposition Isamaa and Center parties have not revealed their preferred candidate, though they have spoken with EU diplomat Maive Rute and businessman Indrek Laul.

The leaders of the two parties, Urmas Reinsalu and Mihhail Kõlvart, respectively, say they want to hear Ülle Madise's decision and see a public discussion involving other potential candidates before deciding whether to support her possible presidential candidacy.

The Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) has put forward party founder Mart Helme as a candidate, but lacks sufficient signatures to register him on their own.

Another dimension is that Estonia's head of state is not directly elected by the people, leading to claims the winning candidate is not necessarily the people's choice, and that parties make their choices with next year's Riigikogu elections in mind.

Citizens who are not MPs have also been proposing their own candidates, notably former Defense League commander Riho Ühtegi, recently nominated by several public figures.

One of these, economic analyst Raivo Vare, said politicians should have made a broader effort to find out who the people preferred.

"In reality, this is a classic failure on the part of politicians," Vare said. "It would not be hard to inspect public opinion a little and see how people actually view the situation. But instead of that, they are trying to take the easier route and settle it via a little political consensus."

"Clearly, everything is being calculated within the parties today with next spring's general election in mind. That is clouding clear judgment and the selection process," Vare added.

Hussar noted that only those candidates who have the support of the politicians can run.

"The Constitution states very clearly that someone becomes a candidate only if they have the support signatures of 21 members of the Riigikogu. Candidates themselves must therefore secure those signatures. If they receive them, they are candidates; if they do not, they are not," Hussar said.

Candidates have to give their consent and have to be formally nominated. Nominations are open August 21-24. The first ballot follows at the Riigikogu on Wednesday, September 2, with the second and third run-offs to follow the next day if needed.

In 2021, Alar Karis ran unopposed and was elected in the second Riigikogu ballot.

Lauri Hussar said on Monday that the Council of Elders will be meeting on August 11 and will discuss not only the technical aspects of the presidential election but also how to nominate a candidate with the broadest possible support.

The article was updated to add details and the date of the Council of Elders meeting.

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