Estonian Parliament to Convene for Presidential Election on September 2
Estonia's Riigikogu will hold an extraordinary session on September 2 to elect the next president. Current President Alar Karis has promised to announce by June 25 whether he will run for re-election.
Estonian Parliament Speaker Lauri Hussar has called an extraordinary session for September 2 at Toompea Castle, as proposed by President Alar Karis. The sole agenda item will be the election of a new head of state.
President Alar Karis has stated he will make public his decision on whether to stand for re-election by June 25. His term ends in October 2026, but the election is being held earlier.
Under Estonia's constitution, the president is elected by the Riigikogu. A candidate must be nominated by at least one-fifth of the parliament (21 MPs). To be elected, a candidate must receive a two-thirds majority of the parliament (at least 68 votes).
If no candidate achieves the required majority in the first round, a second round is held. If still no winner, a third round takes place between the two leading candidates. In both rounds, a two-thirds majority is required.
If no president is elected after the third round, an electoral college is convened. It consists of 107 representatives from local governments and 101 MPs, totaling 208 members. The two candidates from the third round automatically run in the first round of the electoral college, but additional candidates may be nominated by at least 21 members.
In the electoral college, a candidate is elected if they receive a majority of the votes of members present. If no one reaches that threshold, a second round is held between the two frontrunners. If that also fails to produce a winner, the entire process restarts in the Riigikogu.
