President of the Republic of Estonia

President of the Republic of Estonia
Flag of the president
Acting President Kersti Kaljulaid since October 10, 2016
Official seat	Kadriorg , Tallinn
Term of office	5 years (subsequent re-election possible once)
Creation of the office	April 24, 1938
Last choice	3rd October 2016
website	president.ee

Sign on the Estonian Presidential Office

The official residence of the Estonian President in the Kadriorg district of Tallinn

The President of the Republic of Estonia ( Estonian Eesti Vabariigi President ) is the Estonian head of state . The election and powers of the President are determined by the Estonian Constitution of 1992 . His competencies are comparable to those of the Austrian Federal President .

History of office

In 1918 Estonia gained its state independence from Russia . The 1920 constitution did not provide for a president; this avoided the concentration of power in one person and established a strong parliamentary system . Until 1934, the head of state ( Riigivanem ) was also the head of state of Estonia. He could be dismissed by parliament at any time. There was no balancing political role between parliament and government.

With the constitutional reform of 1933 a presidential system was introduced. The head of state was still called the elder of the state. In 1934, however, the then head of government Konstantin Päts seized power in a non-violent coup and established an authoritarian regime. He wanted to forestall a seizure of power by right-wing extremist forces . With the constitution of 1938 Päts was elected president. The term of office should last six years. It ended in 1940 with the Soviet occupation of the country.

With the regaining of Estonian independence in August 1991, a modern Estonian constitution was created. It is still valid today. In 1992 Lennart Meri was elected the first president after World War II . The first woman in office was Kersti Kaljulaid , who was elected in 2016 .

choice

Any Estonian citizen who has reached the age of 40 and acquired Estonian citizenship by birth can be elected as Estonian President.

The Estonian Parliament ( Riigikogu ) is initially called to elect the President . A nomination must be supported by at least 21 MPs.

The vote takes place in a secret ballot . To be elected, a candidate must have a majority of two thirds of the legal number of members of parliament, so 68 votes in favor are required.

If this does not succeed in three ballots, the right to vote is transferred from parliament to a special electoral assembly ( valimiskogu ). This consists of the 101 members of the Estonian Parliament as well as electors, who are determined by the local authorities (cities and municipalities). It meets in parliament within one month of the third ballot.

The two candidates who received the most votes in the third round of the Riigikogu , as well as candidates who are proposed by at least 21 members of the electoral assembly, stand for election in the first ballot of the electoral assembly. The candidate who receives the absolute majority of the votes cast is elected.

If no candidate is elected in the first ballot, another ballot will take place on the same day. The two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the first ballot of the electoral assembly stand in this. If, in the second ballot, no candidate can get more than half of all votes cast, the right to vote for the office of President is passed back to Parliament.

Term of office

The Estonian President's term of office is five years. A subsequent re-election is only permitted once. At the beginning of his term of office, the Estonian President takes his oath of office in front of the parliament.

The President may not belong to any political party or hold any other office during the exercise of his office.

The Estonian President enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution during his tenure . The immunity can only be lifted at the request of the legal chancellor by the parliament with a majority of its legal number of members. If convicted, the president loses his office.

The office of president ends when his successor takes office. He is entitled to resign from office (except in times of war). If he is prevented from exercising his office, the Estonian President is temporarily represented by the Speaker of the Parliament, who has only limited powers.

Tasks and competencies

The office of the Estonian President is mainly ceremonial. He is the Commander in Chief of the Estonian Armed Forces .

The President represents Estonia under international law. He appoints the Estonian ambassadors and certifies the foreign envoys in Estonia. He awards medals as well as military and diplomatic titles. He is entitled to the right of grace.

He calls ordinary and, in the cases provided for in the Constitution, extraordinary parliamentary elections. He certifies the newly elected MPs and opens the first session. He can propose to the President of Parliament that an extraordinary session be convened.

After consulting the political parties, he proposes a candidate for the post of Prime Minister to Parliament. If this candidate does not find a majority in parliament, the president can propose another candidate. If this candidate does not find a majority either, the right to nominate passes to parliament.

On the proposal of the Prime Minister, the President appoints and dismisses the ministers. He has no right of examination. The President appoints and dismisses the Chairman of the State Court of Justice ( Riigikohus ), the Chairman of the Central Bank Council of Eesti Pank , the Chairman of the Court of Auditors, the Law Chancellor and the Military Commander of the Armed Forces. On the proposal of the chairman of the State Court of Justice, he appoints the judge and, on the proposal of the Central Bank Council, the President of Eesti Pank . He is entitled to waive the legal chancellor's criminal immunity.

The president draws up the laws. If he considers a law to be unconstitutional or inappropriate for political reasons, he can refer the law back to parliament. If Parliament passes it again in unchanged form, the President can submit it to the State Court of Justice (Riigikohus) for review. If the State Court of Justice considers the law to be constitutional, the President must issue it.

The President can propose an amendment to the Constitution to Parliament. Lennart Meri made use of this right twice, Toomas Hendrik Ilves once.

The Estonian President is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces (although this post is more symbolic in nature). He can propose to parliament the declaration of a state of defense, the declaration of a state of emergency and mobilization and demobilization. In the event of a military attack on Estonia, he has these rights without referring to Parliament.

List of Presidents of Estonia

#	image	Surname	Taking office	Resignation	Political party
1		Konstantin Päts	April 24, 1938	June 21, 1940
2		Lennart Meri	October 6, 1992	October 8, 2001	IL
3		Arnold Rüütel	October 8, 2001	October 9, 2006	ERL
4th		Toomas Hendrik Ilves	October 9, 2006	October 10, 2016	SDE
5		Kersti Kaljulaid	October 10, 2016	October 11, 2021	independent
6th		Alar Karis

See also

• List of heads of state of Estonia

Web links

• Official website (Estonian, Russian, English)
• Website of the Presidential Chancellery
• Law on the Election of the President (English translation)

Remarks

1. ↑ His official title is Vabariigi President , "President of the Republic"
2. ^ Proposal for popular election of the president and creation of an Estonian constitutional court; both proposals failed in parliament
3. ↑ Appointment of the military commander of the armed forces by the government and no longer by parliament; not yet decided