Estonia's First European Parliament Elections Won by Future President

Estonia marked a historic milestone on June 13, 2004, with its inaugural European Parliament elections. Ten political parties and four independent candidates vied for representation, but it was Toomas Hendrik Ilves of the Social Democratic Party who emerged as the clear victor. His win, securing 76,120 votes, was largely attributed to his extensive international experience and expertise in European Union affairs, as noted by Postimees prior to the election.

Ilves's strong performance was mirrored by other notable candidates, with Siiri Oviir from the Center Party securing the second-highest number of votes (16,633), followed by Tunne-Väldo Kelam of the Fatherland Union (12,609). Ultimately, six representatives were elected to the European Parliament: Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Marianne Mikko, and Andres Tarand from the SDE; Siiri Oviir from the Center Party; Toomas Savi from the Reform Party; and Tunne-Väldo Kelam from the Fatherland Union.

The election saw a voter turnout of 26.7 percent, with 234,485 people participating. This event was part of Estonia's integration into the European Union, allowing its citizens to directly elect representatives to the EU's legislative body.