Estonia's parliament to vote for new president on Wednesday
Estonian MPs will hold a secret ballot on Wednesday to choose a new president, as incumbent Alar Karis' term ends this month. Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise is the sole candidate in the first round.
Estonia's parliament, the Riigikogu, will convene at noon on Wednesday for a secret ballot to elect the country's next president. The vote comes as incumbent President Alar Karis' term concludes this month; he announced back in June that he would not seek re-election.
Under Estonia's system, the president is chosen by parliament rather than by popular vote. To win in the first round, a candidate needs the backing of at least 68 of the Riigikogu's 101 members.
A single candidate, but no guarantee
Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise is standing as the only candidate in this first round. Her nomination is backed by 75 MPs drawn from four parties: Reform, Eesti 200, SDE and Isamaa.
Despite that apparent margin, the outcome is not certain. Because voting is conducted by secret ballot, MPs who nominated a candidate are not bound to actually vote for them, and past presidential elections have seen nominated candidates fall short of the required threshold.
Should Madise fail to secure 68 votes on Wednesday, additional rounds of voting will follow, potentially bringing new candidates into contention.
