Kaljulaid says Karis and Foreign Ministry failed to cooperate

Raimond Kaljulaid has called the lack of cooperation between former President Alar Karis and the Foreign Ministry a serious mistake, ERR reported. He said Estonia’s leaders and institutions should work more closely together at a time of international uncertainty.

Politicians expect newly appointed President Ülle Madise to take a stronger role in foreign and security policy, but not to receive broader powers. They say regular meetings with ministers and members of parliament could help prevent misunderstandings and disagreements.

Kaljulaid, a Social Democratic Party member of parliament, said foreign policy should not be decided by the Foreign Ministry alone, with the president merely carrying out those decisions. He said the ministry had been unable to work with Karis and, later, seemed no longer interested in doing so.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said a president’s role in foreign policy was not limited in practice to the representative duties set out in the constitution. He cited former presidents Lennart Meri and Toomas Hendrik Ilves as influential voices in foreign policy in Europe and globally.

Tsahkna said disagreements between the president and government institutions should be resolved privately. Marko Mihkelson, chair of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, also called for regular coordination and substantive discussions on strategic choices, including more frequent meetings between the president and foreign minister.

Mihkelson said the president should not represent Estonia at NATO summits, where decisions can involve commitments on the country’s behalf. He said only the head of government can make such commitments for Estonia.