Karis says he may serve Estonia better after presidency

President Alar Karis says he may have better opportunities to serve Estonia as a former president than in office, ERR reported. In an interview on the cultural programme Plekktrumm, he said he plans to take time to think after his term but that his calendar is already beginning to fill. He also wants to continue working on artificial intelligence and technology.

Karis said his final days in office were largely about thanking people he had worked with. Farewell visits to neighbouring countries had recently concluded, with the last visit to the King of Sweden. A painting made for him will also be unveiled in his final week and placed in Kadriorg.

He said leaving office was not particularly painful, as he had often left previous positions voluntarily. He described the presidency as one stage coming to an end, with time to show what comes next.

Karis said he had left open the possibility of seeking another term, but that it would have taken “a small miracle” for him to agree. Political parties approached him in the spring and suggested he continue, prompting him to consider it once more before announcing his decision at a parade.

He said the timing of such an announcement matters: it should not come so early that attention shifts away from the incumbent, or so late that a successor has too little time to prepare.