Estonia's parliament elected constitutional lawyer and Chancellor of Justice Ulle Madise as the country's next president on September 2, completing the transfer of the largely ceremonial but politically influential office from outgoing President Alar Karis, Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR.ee reported.

Madise secured 71 votes in the 101-seat Riigikogu in the first round, clearing the required two-thirds majority of 68. Seventy-eight MPs participated in the secret ballot, with seven submitting blank ballots. Madise, who ultimately stood unopposed, will take office on October 12 as Estonia's seventh president and only the second woman to hold the post.

Her election comes at a particularly sensitive time for Estonia, a Nato and EU member sharing a border with Russia and one of Europe's most outspoken supporters of Ukraine. Although Estonia's president has limited executive powers, the head of state plays an important role in foreign and security policy and represents the country internationally.

Addressing lawmakers immediately after the vote, Madise said: "I will do my best to be worthy of this trust. I hope that through mutual understanding, debating vigorously when necessary while still supporting one another, we can accomplish a great deal together for Estonia, so that life in Estonia is happy, good and safe,” ERR.ee reported.

Madise, 51, has served as chancellor of justice since 2015 and has built a reputation as an independent constitutional expert rather than a party political figure. Before taking the post, she worked in several state institutions and served as legal adviser to former president Toomas Hendrik Ilves between 2009 and 2015.

She emerged as the compromise candidate after months of discussions among parliamentary parties.

Her appointment was widely expected before the vote as she was nominated by 75 MPs. 

Madise succeeds Karis, who announced in June that he would not seek another five-year term. His presidency coincided almost entirely with the dramatically changed European security environment following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Karis has generally been a firm supporter of Kyiv, repeatedly arguing that Russia must be stopped and that Ukraine must be able to determine its own future. During a visit to Ukraine in late August, he declared that "this war must be won" and that the aggressor had to be "stopped and driven back".

However, some of Karis' statements on how the war might ultimately end have at times appeared more ambiguous than Tallinn's usually uncompromising public line on Ukraine.

His comments about the realities of eventual negotiations and the decisions Kyiv may face – including territorial concessions – have prompted debate over where support for Ukraine ends and the search for a negotiated settlement begins.