When the Estonian Parliament failed to elect a new President of Estonia in August 2016, the decision passed to a specially convened Electoral College. With no candidate securing a simple majority in the Electoral College on 24 September, the vote returned to the Parliament on 3 October, where a final decision was reached. On 10 October, Kersti Kaljulaid took office as Estonia’s first female President.

Background

The incumbent President, Tomas Hendrik Ilves, served the maximum of two five-year terms as President allowed in the Estonian constitution. President Ilves had previously served as Estonian Ambassador to the US and Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as a Member of the European Parliament, before his election to the Presidency in 2006.

In order to have their names placed on the ballot, potential Presidential candidates must be nominated by at least 21 Members of the Riigikogu, the Estonian Parliament. In the current Parliament, only the Reform Party, which is the largest party in the ruling coalition, is able to nominate a candidate outright, as it is the only party to have more than 21 seats. Other political parties with less than 21 seats in the Riigikogu often form coalitions to nominate a candidate.

Parliament vote

The first stage of the Presidential election took place on 29-30 August 2016 in the Estonian Parliament. Three rounds of voting failed to elect a President, as the three candidates on the ballot each failed to gain the necessary 68 votes out of a total of 101 to secure a two-thirds majority. The three candidates were: former Chancellor of Justice and former Ombudsman, Allar Joks; former Education Minister, Mailis Reps; and former European Commissioner and former Prime Minister, Siim Kallas. The latter had replaced Eiki Nestor, former leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), former Minister of Social Affairs and current Speaker of the Riigikogu, in the second round, as a result of a pre-election agreement between the SDP and Reform Party.

Electoral College vote

The second stage of the Presidential election took place on 24 September, when a special Electoral College was convened. This electoral body consists of 335 members, including all 101 Members of the Riigikogu as well as 234 representatives of local government councils.

Five Presidential candidates participated in the first round of the Electoral College vote. Mailis Reps and Siim Kallas automatically qualified as candidates, having reached the last round of voting in the Parliament stage. An additional three candidates gained the required support of 21 Members of the Electoral College to nominate them. The three candidates were: former Foreign Minister, Marina Kaljurand; Conservative People’s Party of Estonia Chairman, Mart Helme; and Allar Joks, who had also been a candidate in the Parliament stage.

The two candidates scoring the highest amount of votes in the first round would face off in a second round, if a simple majority was not reached by a single candidate. Mailis Reps, Marina Kaljurand and Mart Helme were all eliminated after the first round, with 79, 75 and 16 votes respectively. Siim Kallas and Allar Joks proceeded to the second round of voting, having gained 81 and 82 votes respectively.

Supported by the Reform Party, Siim Kallas received 138 votes in the second round, while Allar Joks, supported by both the right-wing Pro Patria and Res Publica Union and the Free Party, received 134. 60 votes were either spoiled or empty, meaning that both candidates fell short of the required number of votes to gain a simple majority.

This was the first time that there has been a failure to elect a President in both the Parliament and the Electoral College since Estonian independence in 1991. Siim Kallas blamed a “failure of the electoral system” for the result, saying that he would not run for a third time. Allar Joks also withdrew from the contest, saying that he would not pursue the Presidency any longer.

Second Parliament vote

A second election in the Estonian Parliament took place on 3 October, when new candidates were permitted to run for the office. 68 votes were once again required by a candidate to guarantee a two-thirds majority in the Estonian Parliament. Due to the failure to elect a candidate in the first two rounds of voting, the Council of Elders of the Estonian Parliament, which included representatives of all parliamentary parties, the Speaker and two Deputy Speakers, agreed to find a consensus candidate. The Council selected Kersti Kaljulaid, and having asked her consent, proposed her as the only Presidential candidate. Kersti Kaljulaid had not participated as a candidate in the previous stages of voting. Her candidacy was supported by 90 MPs, and she was elected as President with 81 votes, surpassing the 68 required.

The new President

Kersti Kaljulaid, 46, was most recently employed as Estonia’s representative at the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg, a position she held since Estonia’s accession to the EU in 2004. Previously, she held roles as director of the Iru Power Plant in Estonia and as economic adviser to Prime Minister Mart Laar from 1999 to 2002.

Kersti Kaljulaid took office as Estonia’s first female President on 10 October, following nine men who have served as President, or the equivalent role, since 1938. Although a largely ceremonial position, the President has a role in approving legislation after its constitutionality has been verified. Kersti Kaljulaid takes office as Estonia is preparing to take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in July 2017.

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