Estonia sets September 2 date for presidential election

Members of Estonia’s parliament (Riigikogu) will meet on September 2 to elect the country’s next president, the Riigikogu announced.

Speaker of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar (Eesti 200) has called an extraordinary session for the first Tuesday of September to elect a new president following a proposal by incumbent President Alar Karis, ERR reports.

“The meeting will take place at 12 noon,” the Riigikogu said in a statement.

Estonia’s president is elected by parliament rather than by direct public vote, and in recent elections presidents have only secured sufficient support after multiple rounds of voting.

Candidates have not yet been formally announced and are expected to be revealed later this summer. So far, only EKRE’s Mart Helme, a former interior minister, has declared his intention to run.

Karis has said he will publicly announce his decision on whether to seek a second term around midsummer (June 24).

At present, the Centre Party has expressed support for Karis to continue in office, while his backing within the Reform Party–Eesti 200 coalition remains limited.

By Vafa Guliyeva