Estonia's parliament elects Ulle Madise president with 71 votes

September 2, 2026 at 05:10 PM2 min

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Estonia's parliament elected Chancellor of Justice Ulle Madise as the country's next president on September 2, with 71 votes in a secret ballot. She will take office on October 12, succeeding Alar Karis, whose five-year term ends in October. Madise becomes the second woman to serve as Estonia's head of state.

Key Facts

Ulle Madise received 71 votes in the Estonian parliament's secret ballot, exceeding the required two-thirds majority of 68.
Madise will take the oath of office before the Riigikogu on October 12 and formally assume the presidency.
She becomes the second woman to serve as Estonia's president, after Kersti Kaljulaid.
Outgoing President Alar Karis announced in June that he would not seek a second term.
Madise, 51, has served as Estonia's Chancellor of Justice since 2015 and was re-elected to a second term in late 2021.

Election Result

The Riigikogu elected Ulle Madise president in the first round of voting on September 2. She secured 71 votes in the secret ballot, while seven deputies left their ballots blank. A total of 78 parliamentarians participated in the vote, with 68 votes required for election. Madise ran unopposed under a preliminary agreement among four of the six parliamentary parties. Her candidacy was nominated by 75 Riigikogu deputies, including members of the Reform Party, Eesti 200, Isamaa, and the Social Democratic Party.

Transition of Power

Madise will take the oath of office before the Riigikogu on October 12 and formally assume the presidency. She succeeds Alar Karis, whose five-year term expires in October. Karis announced in June that he would not run for a second term. Karis was elected president in August 2021 after serving as director of the Estonian National Museum.

Madise's Background

Ulle Madise, 51, graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu. She taught constitutional law at the University of Tartu and Tallinn University of Technology. Madise has worked at the Ministry of Justice, the Riigikogu's Constitutional Commission, the State Audit Office, and as the president's legal adviser. She has served as Estonia's Chancellor of Justice since 2015 and was re-elected to a second term in late 2021. As Chancellor of Justice, her duties include reviewing the constitutionality of laws and protecting people's rights against violations by state bodies and officials.