Estonian PM: Land joining race against Madise 'should make election interesting'

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said he expects Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) rector Tiit Land to eventually be nominated as a candidate in the country's presidential race, despite Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise already securing support from more than 60 members of the Riigikogu.

Speaking Thursday, Michal confirmed his own backing for Madise, calling her a strong candidate and noting that she is now the first contender with enough parliamentary support to be elected. He said signatures for her continue to come in gradually. At the same time, he said talks are ongoing with Land and with Mart Helme, founder and deputy chair of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), and that he expects Land to join the race, which he said would make the voting rounds in the Riigikogu more interesting.

Criticism of election expectations

Minister of Education and Research and Eesti 200 chair Kristina Kallas argued that public expectations around the presidential race misrepresent Estonia's constitutional system, under which the president is elected by the Riigikogu rather than by popular vote. She said the process is less a conventional campaign with debates and public forums, and more an agreement among lawmakers on who will represent Estonia for the next five years.

With more than 60 MPs already backing Madise, Kallas called on other parties to set aside political maneuvering and join the support if they have no substantive objections to her candidacy, pointing to Madise's international standing and constitutional expertise.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, also of Eesti 200, said every member of his party's parliamentary group has signed in support of Madise. He urged parties not to let considerations tied to the 2027 Riigikogu elections influence the process, stressing that the current geopolitical tension is the most serious since the Soviet era and that independence should not be taken for granted.

The Riigikogu is set to elect Estonia's next president on September 2, with formal candidate nominations taking place between August 21 and 24.