To be elected, the candidate for the President needed a two-thirds majority of the Riigikogu, i.e. the support of at least 68 members of the Riigikogu.
78 members of the Riigikogu participated in the vote. Seven ballot papers were left unmarked.
Ülle Madise was nominated as a candidate by 75 members of the Riigikogu.
The elected President of the Republic Ülle Madise expressed her gratitude for the support and trust. “I will do my best to deserve this trust.”
At the beginning of the sitting, the candidate Ülle Madise delivered a speech where she emphasised the need for much more trust in general. “All of us in our lives. We should not want someone up there to tell us how to live, think, or feel. This is not how it is and it is also impossible for the state to know the best how to live and breathe, how to take action. The experts on taking action are those who take action,” Madise said.
“Estonia is the frontline of the security of the whole Europe, the whole free West. This line stands because our forebears had the wisdom to restore independence, accelerate to catch up with the free world, create a corruption free and safe country. They had the vision and the smarts to steer Estonia towards the European Union and NATO—not just to twiddle our thumbs there, but to build a common future together,” Madise stressed.
Ülle Madise concluded her speech by saying “I look at and listen to our police officers and serviceman, diplomats and statesmen with sincere gratitude and civic pride. Thank you! I feel respect and awe, I feel responsibility for our people, I feel responsibility for Estonia. I am sure that together we can make Estonia bigger, happier, and stronger. I am ready to carry the responsibility of the head of state, because you, honourable members of the Riigikogu, have trusted me with this. Thank you.“
The sitting of the Riigikogu started with a minute of silence in memory of the recently departed long-term members of the Riigikogu Siim Kallas and Priit Aimla.
Photos: (Author: Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Video recordings of the sittings of the Riigikogu can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)