Former President of Estonia. The Leader Nobody Knows

Eesti Vabariigi President) is the head of the Republic of Estonia.

Role of the President of the Republic in special situations

According to the constitution, the head of state is assigned a number of important functions in the event of emergency and crisis situations (for example, the outbreak of hostilities, a constitutional crisis or large-scale disasters). The powers described below have not yet been used in practice and are only a potential possibility provided by the Basic Law:

Under the President of the Republic, as an advisory body, there is a so-called. "National Defense Council" (Est. Riigikaitse Nõukogu), which consists of the Chairman of the Riigikogu, the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the Riigikogu National Defense Committee, the Chairman of the Riigikogu Committee on foreign affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defense, Minister of Finance, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Justice, Minister of Economy and Infrastructure, Minister of Enterprise and Information Technology, and Commander of the Defense Forces.

The task of the council is to discuss issues important from the point of view of national defense and form a common opinion. Meetings are held as needed (in reality, they are usually held 1 to 3 times a year). The President of the Republic heads the Council, approves the procedure for its work, and also directs its meetings.

Informal functions of the head of state

In addition to the powers prescribed in the constitution and laws, the President of the Republic also has a number of informal functions, which are determined by the traditions and personal qualities of the people who held the post of head of state. So, an established tradition is New Year's greetings from the president, the adoption by the president of the parades of the armed forces of Estonia in honor of Independence Day on February 24 and Victory Day near Vynnu on June 23. The President of the Republic is responsible for organizing the annual Independence Day reception, to which all the country's top officials and prominent public figures are invited (for many, this is a great honor and recognition). The speech delivered by the president on February 24 (Est. iseseisvuspäeva kõne) is an important political event, since the president has the opportunity to express his vision of what is happening in the country and criticize the actions of the executive and legislative branches in it.

The President of the Republic can also exercise patronage over many public organizations and campaigns, such as:

Procedure for election and termination of powers

Only citizens of Estonia by birth who have reached forty years of age are eligible to run for the presidency. The presidential candidate is nominated by the deputies of the Riigikogu (at least 1/5 of their number). The President is elected for 5 years. No one can be elected president for more than two consecutive terms.

The election of the President of Estonia is indirect: he is elected to the Riigikogu or to a special electoral college if the Riigikogu fails to fulfill this task. In the first round, members of the Riigikogu vote in secret for the nominated candidates. If it is not possible to elect the president in the first round (the candidate is considered elected if at least 2/3 of the parliament or 68 deputies voted for him), then the second round is held the next day, and the candidates are nominated again. If the president is not elected in the second round, then the third round is held on the same day, in which the two candidates who received the largest number of votes in the second round participate. If the President is not elected even in the third round, the President of the Riigikogu convenes an Electoral College consisting of members of the Riigikogu and representatives of local government councils. The Electoral College is represented by two candidates who participated in the third round. In addition, at least 21 members of the Electoral College also have the right to nominate a candidate for the presidency. The Electoral College elects the President of the Republic by a majority vote of the members of the Electoral College participating in the voting. If in the first round none of the candidates is elected, then on the same day a second round of voting is held between the two candidates who received the largest number of votes. If, after the second round of voting in the Electoral College, the president is still not elected, the right to elect the president again passes to the Riigikogu and the procedure is repeated anew in the sequence described above.

The newly elected President takes office by taking the following oath before the Riigikogu:

“Assuming the office of the President of the Republic, I (name and surname) solemnly swear that I will unwaveringly uphold the constitution and laws of the Republic of Estonia, fairly and impartially use the power given to me, faithfully fulfill my duties, applying all my strength and abilities for the good of the people of Estonia and the Republic of Estonia"

From the moment of taking office, all powers and duties of the president in any other elected or appointed positions automatically terminate. The President of the Republic has no right to engage in any other paid activity. The official remuneration of the President of the Republic shall be established by a special law of the Riigikogu. For the duration of his tenure, the president is required to suspend membership in any party.

The powers of the President are terminated in connection with:

• voluntary resignation;
• the inauguration of a newly elected president;
• death;
• the entry into force of the guilty verdict of the court against him;
• persistent inability to perform the duties of the President for health reasons, determined by the State Court.

If the President is unable to perform his duties, the powers of the President are temporarily transferred to the President of the Riigikogu.

History of the Presidency

The institution of the president was absent in Estonia as such from 1938 until 1938. The first constitution of Estonia was deliberately drafted in such a way as to avoid by any means the concentration of too much power in one hand. The functions that are usually vested in the president in parliamentary republics were distributed between the speaker of parliament, the government and the elder of state, who actually performed the functions of prime minister and nominal head of state. However, the latter could not act as an arbiter in the event of a conflict between the parliament and the government, since he himself was completely dependent on the deputies and could be dismissed by the parliament at any moment.

After the inclusion of Estonia into the USSR as a separate union republic (in modern Estonia it is interpreted as an initially illegitimate occupation, which is recognized by most of the international community), a new constitution was adopted on the model of the constitution of the USSR, in which the post of president was not provided. During the Soviet period, the chairman of the presidium of the Supreme Council of the Estonian SSR was considered the formal head of state in the Estonian SSR, whose powers were minimal.

During the period of Soviet rule, the government of the Estonian Republic in exile also operated outside the USSR, the head of which was officially called the "Prime Minister, Acting President of the Republic." However, the legitimacy of the government-in-exile is called into question by some historians, since, according to them, it was not officially recognized by any state in the world. The first government of Estonia in exile consisted of persons appointed by the last legitimate Prime Minister of Estonia, Jüri Uluots . Obeying the Soviet ultimatum, President Päts appointed a new government headed by Johannes Vares Barbarus.

The post of President of the Republic was restored in 1992 with the adoption of a new constitution. Since then, presidential elections have been held 6 times (in , , , , 2011 and 2016).

List of Presidents of Estonia (since 1992)

According to the 1992 constitution, the head of Estonia is President of the Republic of Estonia (Est. Eesti Vabariigi President). His powers are largely limited, he is not included in the system of executive power and is mainly a symbolic figure, performing representative and various formal legal functions. The President may not be a member of any political party and may not hold any other elected or appointed office.

Presidential elections are held by voting in Parliament or in a special electoral college (with alternating rounds of voting between these bodies). The President is elected for a term of five years; the same person cannot be elected President for more than two consecutive terms.

№	Portrait	Name (years of life)	Powers		Nominated by the party	Elections
			Start	The ending
1 (I-II)

Eesti Vabariigi President) is the head of the Estonian state.

Since Estonia is a parliamentary republic, the president's powers are largely limited, he is not part of the executive branch and is mainly a symbolic figure. The President may not be a member of any political party and may not hold any other elected or appointed office. These restrictions are aimed at ensuring the independence and political impartiality of the President in the exercise of his official functions.

The election of the president takes place by voting in parliament or in a special electoral college (in the event that parliament is unable to elect the head of state). The President is elected for a term of five years; the same person cannot be elected President for more than two consecutive terms. The current president of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, was elected by the electoral college on September 23, 2006, having already received the support of 174 electors in the first round of voting (with 173 needed to win). His only competitor, the then incumbent President Arnold Ruutel, received the support of 162 members of the collegium.

History of the Presidency

The institution of the president was absent in Estonia as such from 1918 to 1938. The first constitution of Estonia was deliberately drafted in such a way as to avoid by any means the concentration of too much power in one hand. This eventually led to the creation of an ultra-parliamentary system, in which the powers of parliament were practically unlimited, and the government was completely subordinate to the will of the deputies. The functions that are usually vested in the president in parliamentary republics were distributed between the speaker of parliament, the government and the so-called elder of state, who actually performed the functions of prime minister and nominal head of state. However, the latter could not play the role of an arbitrator in the event of a conflict between the parliament and the government, since he was completely dependent on the deputies and could be dismissed by them at any moment.

The post of president was first introduced in 1938 after the adoption of a new constitution. According to the new basic law, the president had very broad powers and actually headed the executive branch of government. Konstantin Päts became the first President of the Republic of Estonia. The presidential term was supposed to last six years, but Konstantin Päts was forced to leave his post in 1940 due to the accession of Estonia to the USSR. He was subsequently arrested by the NKVD and deported to Russia. Konstantin Päts died in 1956 in a psychiatric hospital in Kalinin.

After the proclamation of Soviet power, a new constitution was adopted on the model of the USSR constitution, in which the post of president was not provided. During the Soviet period, the chairman of the presidium of the Supreme Council of the Estonian SSR was considered the formal head of state in the Estonian SSR, whose powers were minimal.

During the period of Soviet rule, the so-called "government of the Republic of Estonia in exile" also operated outside the USSR, the head of which was officially called the "Prime Minister, Acting President of the Republic." However, the legitimacy of the "government in exile" can be called into question, since it was not recognized by any state in the world and consisted of members of the government of Jüri Uluots, which in reality was dismissed already in 1940 by decree of President Konstantin Päts. Instead of the government of Jüri Uluots, President Päts managed to appoint a new government headed by Johannes Vares Barbarus. Thus, members of this "government in exile" after 1940 could not formally be considered ministers.

However, the interpretation officially accepted in modern Estonia is that the decrees of President Päts on the resignation of the Uluots government and the appointment of the Barbarus government were invalid due to the inability of President Päts at that time to make independent decisions. It is worth noting that the assertion of the legitimacy of the so-called "government in exile" is one of the cornerstones of the theory of the succession of the Republic of Estonia, as well as one of the justifications for the ongoing policy in the field of citizenship and language.

The post of President of the Republic was restored in 1992 with the adoption of a new constitution. Since then, presidential elections have been held 4 times (in 1992, 1996, 2001 and 2006).

Powers

Procedure for election and termination of powers

Only citizens of Estonia by birth who have reached forty years of age are eligible to run for the presidency. The presidential candidate is nominated by the deputies of the Riigikogu (at least 1/5 of their number). The President is elected for 5 years. No one can be elected president for more than two consecutive terms.

The election of the President of Estonia is indirect: he is elected to the Riigikogu or to the Electoral College if the Riigikogu fails to fulfill this task. In the first round, members of the Riigikogu vote in secret for the nominated candidates. If the president fails to be elected in the first round (the candidate is considered elected for whom at least 2/3 of the members of parliament voted), then the second round is held the next day, and the candidates are nominated again. If the president is not elected in the second round, then the third round is held on the same day, in which the two candidates who received the largest number of votes in the second round participate. If the President is not elected even in the third round, the President of the Riigikogu convenes an Electoral College consisting of members of the Riigikogu and representatives of local government councils. The Electoral College is represented by two candidates who participated in the third round. In addition, at least twenty-one members of the Electoral College also have the right to nominate a candidate for the presidency. The Electoral College elects the President of the Republic by a majority vote of the members of the Electoral College participating in the voting. If in the first round none of the candidates is elected, then on the same day a second round of voting is held between the two candidates who received the largest number of votes. If after the second ballot the Electoral College fails to elect the president, the right to elect the president again passes to the Riigikogu and the procedure is repeated anew in the sequence described above.

The newly elected President takes office by taking the following oath before the Riigikogu:

"Assuming the office of the President of the Republic, I (name and surname) solemnly swear that I will unwaveringly uphold the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Estonia, fairly and impartially use the power given to me, faithfully perform my duties, applying all my strength and abilities for the good of the people of Estonia and the Republic of Estonia"

From the moment of taking office, all powers and duties of the President in any other elected or appointed positions automatically terminate. The President of the Republic has no right to engage in any other paid activity. The official remuneration of the President of the Republic shall be established by a special law of the Riigikogu. For the duration of his tenure, the President is obliged to suspend membership in any party.

The powers of the President are terminated in connection with:

• voluntary resignation;
• the inauguration of a newly elected president;
• death;
• the entry into force of the guilty verdict of the court against him;
• persistent inability to perform the duties of the President for reasons of health determined by the Supreme Court.

If the president is unable to perform his duties, the powers of the president are transferred to the chairman of the National Assembly.

The President begins his speech with a poem by Valdur Mikita containing untranslatable linguistic phrases.

Karuldasa janelevad loomad
Janestisse kareldavad end
Karustavad jänelmu ja loovad
Jäneskarust kõrgemale end.

This is the summary of the past year. Completely true. If it seems unfair to someone, then, please, it is possible and vice versa:

Janeldasa karulduvad loomad
Karutsedes jänkustavad end
Janestavad karulmu ja loovad
Karujäntsist kõrgemale end.

Dear residents of all corners of Estonia!

Dear guests!

In our life, the role of poetry is reduced to an ungratefully precise formulation of what no spoken speech can convey. Thank you, Valdur Mikita, for helping me out of a difficult situation today with these lines.

The nature of the past political year cannot be hushed up, but my pen is too weak to accurately describe it, and my soul is too tender to ridicule it. It was a year that touched and wounded the soul.

Let the future be brighter!

But it was also the year of the Estonian language. May we continue to have enough love for our language so that we can share it. To share with everyone who, despite the fact that they were born in a different conversational environment, are ready to speak our language with us. It is the love of the language, and not the duty to the state, that we must share with them, because love is born from love, and harsh coercion gives rise to stubborn resistance.

True, caring for a small language presupposes a certain exactingness, but, above all, the foreign-speaking brethren themselves must want to become part of our society.

Native speakers make it attractive. Poets and songwriters of this people make it beautiful.

President's last speeches

• 21.02.2020 At the Estonian Thanks 2020 awards ceremony
• 02.02.2020 Welcoming speech by the President of the Republic at the solemn ceremony and concert on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Peace of Tartu
• 03.01.2020 At the parade ceremony in Narva in honor of the 100th anniversary of the truce in the War of Independence
• 31.12.2019 New Year's greetings of the President of the Republic on December 31, 2019 in Tallinn on Vabaduse Square

News

The President of the Republic agreed to the involvement of the Defense League in the actions to restore border control

President Kersti Kaljulaid today gave the Minister of the Interior consent to enlist up to 150 members of the Defense League with enforcement powers to support the efforts of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPBG) to restore border controls.

Members of the Defense League will be used primarily at the southern border of Estonia to support the actions of the DPPO to temporarily close the roads crossing the border, as well as to assist the police at the border points. President Kaljulaid spoke this morning about the involvement of members of the Defense League and about general internal security by telephone with Minister of the Interior Mart Helme.

President Kersti Kaljulaid spoke today by phone and via teleconference with her counterparts from the Baltic countries, Poland, Finland and Russia, with whom she discussed mainly the developments in each of the countries in connection with the coronavirus, as well as the measures taken in these countries to slowing down the spread of the virus. It was also discussed how to ensure the possible painless return of citizens of all countries home.

Toomas Hendrik Ilves is the current president of Estonia. He was elected on September 23, 2006. Born December 26, 1953 in Stockholm. According to the horoscope - Capricorn.

Family of Toomas Hendrik Ilves

The mother of Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Iriada Siitem, was born in Leningrad in 1927. A year later, with her father (Hendrik's grandfather), she moved to Estonia, where she was adopted by the Rebane family of politicians. In 1944, when the Soviet troops entered Estonia, Iriada's adoptive parents fled to Switzerland.

Toomas Hendrik Ilves is married for the second time. The current wife is Evelyn Ilves (nee Int-Lambort). In 2003, they had a joint daughter, Kadri Keiu. From his first marriage, Ilves has a son, Luukas Kristjan (born 1987) and a daughter, Juulia Kristiine (born 1992).

Political career of Toomas Hendrik Ilves

After Estonia declared independence, Hendrik Ilves moved to his homeland from Switzerland. From 1993 to 1996 was the Estonian ambassador to the USA, Canada and Mexico. He also twice served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (in 1996-1998 and 1999-2002).

From 2001 to 2002 he headed the People's Party of Moderates. After the party's defeat in the municipal elections, it was renamed the Social Democratic Party of Estonia.

With the active assistance of Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Estonia was admitted to the European Union in 2004.

During the 2006 presidential election, he was nominated by the Reform Party and the Estonian Social Democratic Party.

Powers of the President in Estonia

The President of the Republic of Estonia is the highest official of the state. Due to the fact that Estonia has had the status of a parliamentary republic since 1992, the powers of the head of state are significantly limited. For example, he is not a member of the executive power system. In fact, the president in Estonia is a symbolic figure - he is mainly entrusted with representative and various legal functions.

According to Estonian law, the president cannot be a member of any political party, nor can he hold any other appointed or elected position, which should ensure independence and impartiality in making certain decisions of the head of state.

In Estonia, the president is elected by parliamentary vote. If in the course of three rounds none of the candidates achieves the required two-thirds majority of the constitutional composition of the Riigikogu, a special electoral college is organized.

The President of the Republic of Estonia is elected for a term of five years, but the same candidate cannot be elected for more than two terms.

Article 78 of the Estonian constitution states that the President of Estonia represents the state in international relations. In other words, he is entrusted with the obligation to sign international treaties with the approval of the government. In exceptional cases, the president has the right to represent the country instead of the prime minister in high council the European Union and at meetings of the heads of state of the eurozone countries.

The President of the Republic of Estonia, on the proposal of the government, appoints and recalls the country's diplomatic representatives, and also accepts the credentials of diplomats accredited in Estonia.

The head of state also calls regular and extraordinary elections to the Riigikogu (parliament). True, the role of the president here is narrowed down to formalizing required documents except for the case when the Riigikogu expresses no confidence in the government, which in this regard applies to the head of state with a request to hold early elections.

The duties of the President of Estonia include the need to convene a new Riigikogu and open its first sitting. If necessary, the president makes a proposal to the speaker of parliament to convene an extraordinary session.
The President proclaims laws and signs instruments of ratification.

Rights of the President of Estonia:
− may issue a “suspensive” veto and return the bill back to the Riigikogu for revision within two weeks from the date of receipt. In the event that parliament re-approves the bill without amending it, the president has two options: sign or petition the Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of the law. Provided that the Court does not find facts contrary to the constitution, the president is obliged to sign this law and officially proclaim it.
− to issue legally binding decrees in the event that the parliament cannot meet in session or in case of urgent state necessity. These decrees are considered at the next sitting of the Riigikogu and promptly approved or repealed.
− propose amendments to the constitution;
− after consultations with the chairmen of the parliamentary parties, nominate a candidate for the post of prime minister;
− on the basis of the Prime Minister's proposal to appoint (release) members of the government to positions;
− submit proposals to the Riigikogu for the appointment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eesti Pank, the Chancellor of Justice and the Auditor General.
− on the proposal of the Council of the National Bank, to appoint the President of the Bank of Estonia;
− on the proposal of the State Court, to appoint judges of lower instances;
− award state awards;
- assign military ranks, diplomatic ranks.

The President of Estonia is the supreme leader of the national state defense system.

In addition, the President of the Republic of Estonia submits proposals to Parliament for the introduction of a state of emergency, the introduction of martial law and the announcement of mobilization (in the event of aggression against the country) and demobilization.

The President of Estonia, as a pardon at the request of prisoners, releases them from prison terms or commutes their punishment.

Its functions also include the possibility of introducing the issue of criminal liability in relation to the Chancellor of Justice on the basis of a relevant request from the prosecutor's office.
Under the President of the Republic of Estonia, the National Defense Council functions as an advisory body, which includes the Chairman of the Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for State Defense, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs, the Head of the Foreign Ministry, the Minister of Defense, the Head of the Ministry of Finance, the Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs , Commander of the Defense Forces and Minister of Justice. The head of the Council is the president himself.

Among the informal powers of the President of Estonia are the adoption of parades of the Estonian Armed Forces on Independence Day (February 24) and Victory Day near Vyniku (June 23), New Year's speeches, patronage of most Estonian public organizations and campaigns.

Only Estonian citizens who have reached the age of forty can run for the presidency of Estonia. At the same time, a candidate for the post of head of state is nominated by members of parliament, the number of which must be at least one fifth of the total number.

An elected president takes office by taking an oath before parliament. Oath text:
“Assuming the office of the President of the Republic, I solemnly swear that I will unwaveringly uphold the constitution and laws of the Republic of Estonia, use the power given to me fairly and impartially, faithfully fulfill my duties, applying all my strength and abilities for the good of the people of Estonia and the Republic of Estonia.”
The powers of the President of Estonia terminate if:
− he has voluntarily retired;
− death;
− taking office of a new elected president;
- the passing of a guilty verdict of the court against him;
- inability to perform the duties assigned to him for health reasons. In this case, the powers of the president are temporarily transferred to the chairman of the government.

All Presidents of the Republic of Estonia:

Konstantin Päts - 1938-1940;
Lennart Meri - 1992 - 2001;
Arnold Ruutel - 2001-2006;
Toomas Hendrik Ilves - since October 9, 2006.

Joonistus: Aivar Juhanson

Eesti Ekspress previously wrote that Kaljulaid's second husband, Georg-Rene Maksimovski, most likely works or worked for the Estonian Information Department or a related institution. Kaljulaid herself confirmed that her husband was doing secret work. Later, however, her team clarified that her husband worked at the State Infocommunications Foundation, and therefore had access to state secrets.

Even the head of the Department of Information said that the person with the name Maksimovsky does not work in the department and has never worked. However, it should be borne in mind that employees of the Department of Information receive a new secret name when starting work - maybe not everything is so simple?

Husband won sneakers

One can only speculate about the secret activities of Kaljulaid's husband. If the public is not supposed to know anything about it, then only those small details are left that are known for sure. For example, in 2002, Georg-René Maksimovsky won ASICS running shoes in a running competition.

Feud with Cross

When Kersti Kaljulaid was looking for support in, many claimed to be actively working against her, although he himself denies this. Rumor has it that something happened between Kross and Kaljulaid when she served as adviser to the prime minister from 1999-2002.

In 2001, Laar fired Cross as intelligence coordinator. The official reason is the use of a work credit card for personal purposes. The media cited Kross's possible association with suspicious railroad privatizations and other moves as reasons. One source told Eesti Ekspress that it was Kaljulaid who advised Laar to get rid of speculators. Hence the enmity between Kaljulaid and Kross.

Kaljulaid was invited to lead the IRL

In 2011–2012, Mart Laar was preparing to step down as chairman. Laar's friends advised him to invite Kaljulaid to become the new leader of the party. Laar was well aware that the members had taken over the party, and in Kaljulaid he saw a chance to return the reins of power to Isamaaliytu. In 2012, due to Laar's stroke, these plans had to be put on hold.

Last year, other parties also wanted to recruit Kaljulaid into their ranks. As the deadline for her term at the European Chamber of Control was approaching, several parties contacted her asking what her plans for the future were and if she would not like to enter politics.

pretend until it's true

The nomination of Kersti Kaljulaid as a candidate for the presidency, as well as her appointment to the post, passed quite quickly and spontaneously. The reformist faction asked her if she was ready to become president?

For example, Kaljulaid has successfully predicted that: Estonia will make great strides in the IT sector; the movement for “green energy” will start, and renewable energy will account for 30%-40% of the total production; transit from will begin to disappear; will become stronger and cooperation stronger than when Estonia joined the alliance.

There were also predictions that did not come true: teachers would earn as much as their Western counterparts; the population of Estonia will exceed 2 million people; women on average will give birth to 2.2 children; Trains will depart four times a day.

And one interesting coincidence: Kaljulaid's essay came out second in a series of opinions, and it was preceded by an essay whose author was ... .