The Estonian parliament on Wednesday elected Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise as the country’s next president.
In the secret ballot, Madise, who was the only candidate, received the support of 71 MPs. Seven blank ballots were also cast. A total of 78 MPs had received ballot papers, although 89 MPs had registered for the sitting.
To be elected president, a candidate must receive the support of at least two-thirds of parliament, or 68 MPs. The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has 101 members.
Madise will succeed Alar Karis as head of state in October. Karis did not seek a second five-year term.
The 51-year-old Madise will become the second woman to serve as president of Estonia. Kersti Kaljulaid served as head of state from 2016 to 2021.
As previously reported, the nomination of Madise was signed by 75 Riigikogu MPs from both parties in the governing coalition – the liberal Reform Party and Estonia 200 – as well as from the opposition conservative Isamaa party and the Social Democratic Party. Several independent MPs also backed her nomination.
A lawyer by profession, Madise has served as Chancellor of Justice since 2015. The Chancellor of Justice oversees whether legislation at all levels complies with the Constitution and also performs the functions of an ombudsman.
From 1998 to 2002, Madise headed the Public Law Department at the Estonian Ministry of Justice, and from 2009 to 2015 she served as legal adviser to the President of Estonia.
Madise holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law from the University of Tartu and a doctoral degree in public administration from Tallinn University of Technology. She has also served as a professor at both universities.
In Estonia, the president has primarily representative functions. The president may not serve more than two consecutive terms.
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