Riigikogu elects Ülle Madise as Estonia’s next president

Estonia’s parliament, the Riigikogu, elected Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise as the country’s next president on Wednesday, ERR reported. She received 71 votes in a secret ballot, while seven ballots were left unmarked and none were invalid.

All 78 MPs who received ballots took part in the vote. A candidate needed the support of at least 68 members, or two-thirds of the Riigikogu, to be elected.

“I will do my best to deserve this trust,” Madise told MPs after the result. She thanked them and said she hoped they could work together for Estonia, including by debating sharply when necessary while continuing to support one another.

Seventy-five MPs nominated Madise as a presidential candidate. The nomination was submitted by representatives of the Reform Party, Estonia 200, Isamaa, the Social Democrats and unaffiliated MPs.

Madise, 51, is a trained lawyer. She has previously worked at the Ministry of Justice, the Riigikogu’s Constitutional Committee, the National Audit Office and as a legal adviser to the president. She has served as chancellor of justice since 2015 and was reappointed for a second term in late 2021.

Madise will take office on October 12 by taking the oath of office before the Riigikogu.