Estonia elects Ülle Madise as its second woman president

Ülle Madise will become Estonia’s second woman president after parliament elected her with 71 of 78 votes in the first round. She was the only candidate for the largely ceremonial office.

Madise, 51, has served as Estonia’s justice chancellor since 2015. The role also includes ombudsman responsibilities. She will take office on October 12, when she is due to swear the presidential oath, and will serve for five years.

She succeeds Alar Karis, who did not seek a second term. Madise follows Kersti Kaljulaid as only the second woman to hold Estonia’s presidency.

Estonia has 1.4 million residents and shares a border with Russia. It ranks among the strongest supporters of Ukraine and the sharpest critics of Moscow within NATO and the European Union. The country has also become one of the alliance’s highest military spenders, allocating 5.4% of gross domestic product to defense this year.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan congratulated Madise in a post on X. He said Romania and Estonia were close European partners and NATO allies, united by responsibility for the security of the region and NATO’s eastern flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Dan said he looked forward to working closely with Madise to deepen the countries’ partnership for the security and prosperity of their peoples.

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Congratulations, Ülle Madise, on your election as president of Estonia! Romania and Estonia are close European partners and allies within NATO, united by a shared responsibility for the security of our region and NATO’s eastern flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. I look forward to working closely together to deepen the partnership between our countries, for the security and prosperity of our peoples.