Jõle Madise will be sworn in as Estonian president at a ceremony in the Riigikogu parliament in Tallinn. The session begins at 3 p.m., and the president-elect will take the oath of office before MPs, receive the presidential necklace and deliver her first speech as head of state.
Madise was elected on September 2 by the 101-seat unicameral parliament. She received 71 votes out of the 68 needed, with 78 MPs voting. Her candidacy was the only one, as no other candidate garnered enough parliamentary support.
“I will do my best to justify this trust,“ Madise said after her election. In a statement quoted by Reuters, she also stressed the importance of the country's Euro-Atlantic orientation: “I firmly believe that we should continue on the path we have been on so far. A strong EU and NATO are in the interest of all of us.“
From Chancellor of Justice to Head of State
The 51-year-old lawyer has been Estonia's Chancellor of Justice since 2015. The position combines functions of protecting fundamental rights and monitoring the compliance of laws with the constitution. Madise will continue to perform these duties until the oath is taken, after which the post will be temporarily taken over by Vice Chancellor and Director of the Chancellery Olari Koppel.
Madise will be the second female president of Estonia after Kersti Kaljulaid, who held the post from 2016 to 2021. She succeeds Alar Karis, who is not running for a second term. The new president will govern for five years, and the country has a population of about 1.4 million.
First meeting with Mark Rutte is on October 14
Madise's first planned international meeting as president is with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He will visit Estonia on October 14 and hold talks with her at the presidential office in Kadriorg. His agenda also includes meetings with Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and Defense Minister Martin Herem.
Security and defense are among the main topics for Tallinn. Estonia's 2026 budget includes defense spending of 5.4 percent of gross domestic product, which places the country among the leaders in this indicator in the European Union and NATO.
Sources: bta.bg, reutersconnect.com, news.err.ee