Estonia's unaligned MPs weigh support ahead of presidential vote
Ahead of Estonia's September 2 presidential election, independent members of the Riigikogu are deciding which candidate to back, as the ruling coalition works to secure enough votes to elect Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise.
Estonia's president is chosen by parliament rather than by direct public vote, requiring a candidate to secure at least 68 of the Riigikogu's 101 votes. The Reform Party, Social Democrats and Eesti 200 together hold 66 seats and have declared support for Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise.
Reform Party secretary general Kristo Enn Vaga said at least three unaffiliated MPs appear willing to back Madise as well, which would in theory bring the total to 69 votes. He added that some MPs from the Center Party and Isamaa have privately signaled support too, suggesting the real number on paper could be even higher.
MPs who don't belong to any parliamentary group met on Friday to discuss their stance. Tõnis Mölder said Madise is a strong candidate, but the unaligned MPs want to wait and see whether Isamaa or the Center Party put forward candidates of their own. If no other names emerge and Madise gives at least informal consent to run, the group said it is ready to meet with her and settle on a joint position, with further discussion expected after Tuesday's Council of Elders meeting.
Disagreement over vote count
Eesti 200 chair Kristina Kallas said on Thursday that Madise's actual support stands at 67 votes, since MP Züleyxa Izmailova, who left Eesti 200 for the Social Democrats, does not back her. Izmailova said that because the vote is secret, her own position won't determine the outcome, but argued that genuine discussion should precede the vote rather than pressure on the opposition to decide quickly. She suggested claims of already-secured votes and signatures may be an attempt to deflect from the coalition's own difficulties in managing the process.
Vaga maintained that MPs from the three coalition parties would vote for Madise if she agreed to run, and that they aim to collect at least 68 signatures to formally nominate her. Madise has served as Chancellor of Justice for 11 years and, according to Vaga, is seriously weighing a run. The first round of voting takes place on September 2.
