Estonia's outgoing president gives office chief €11,200 bonus amid staff cuts
Estonian President Alar Karis has awarded Office of the President director Krista Zibo an €11,200 bonus for 2026, the second large bonus in recent months, as her post was also made permanent shortly before a new president takes office.
Outgoing Estonian President Alar Karis has awarded Krista Zibo, director of the Office of the President, a bonus of €11,200 for strong performance in 2026. It is the second substantial bonus she has received recently — on November 24, 2025, Karis awarded her €10,500 for the previous year's work.
Zibo's base salary has also risen steadily. When she took up the post on September 2, 2024, her monthly pay was €5,000. It later increased to €5,500, and on January 29 this year Karis set it at €6,010 per month.
Permanent status granted before handover
For nearly two years, Zibo held the post on a fixed-term basis, having been temporarily transferred from the Government Office. Only from July 1 this year — just months before a new president takes office — has she held the position permanently. Asked by ERR in early September why the change came so late, the Office of the President said Zibo's continued presence was needed to ensure stable management through the end of Karis' term and during the presidential transition, without explaining why this required a permanent rather than temporary appointment.
13 layoffs, eight new hires
By early September, Zibo had laid off 13 employees from the office over the previous two years. Two of them left just about a month before President-elect Ülle Madise was due to take office — one after 26 years at the office, the other after nearly 19. Zibo said the cuts were meant to save money and improve work organization. At the same time, the office hired eight new employees, which it attributed to changes in job roles and processes.
Madise has already offered the director post to Paavo Nõgene, a longtime senior civil servant.
