Sociologist Juhan Kiviräkk: Estonia Needs a President Who Understands Society

After Alar Karis announced he will not run in the next presidential election, parliament members face the difficult task of finding a candidate in just over two months who can secure the required 68 votes. Analysts warn that a concurrent parliamentary campaign will significantly complicate reaching agreement on a presidential candidate. Sociologist Juhan Kiviräkk suggests looking for a president who understands society, naming candidates such as Mati Heidmets, Ülle Madise and others.

After President Alar Karis announced that he did not wish to run for a new term, parliament members must find a new presidential candidate in just over two months, with the first vote scheduled for 2 September.

Two campaigns at once

Tarmo Juristo, head of the Liberal Citizen Foundation, warns that the presidential campaign will coincide with preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections, which makes political negotiations significantly more complex. "In Estonia, the presidential and parliamentary election cycles have different lengths, and now these elections have fallen very close together. Inter-party rivalry and attacks ahead of the parliamentary elections will inevitably affect the presidential campaign as well. It would be nice if politicians did not do this, but in practice it is not possible to keep these processes separate," Juristo told ERR in an interview.

Kiviräkk recommends Heidmets

Sociologist Juhan Kiviräkk also believes that parliament should try to avoid mixing the two pre-campaign activities. However, he considers it unlikely that lawmakers will find a candidate who could secure the necessary 68 votes, as political tensions are currently too high.

Kiviräkk listed several possible presidential candidates depending on what profile is being sought. "If a good constitutional law specialist is desired, Ülle Madise or Jüri Raidla, who was born on the same day as me, could become president. If a high-level foreign policy representative is needed, it is worth approaching Jüri Luik or Jonatan Vseviov. But in my view, the most important thing is that the president understands society well, and I would certainly recommend having a conversation with Mati Heidmets, who has been rector of Tallinn University and has also held political positions," explained the sociologist.

Karis's return not ruled out

Art Johansen, analyst at the Institute for Social Studies, believes that surprising names may emerge in the course of the process. He also does not rule out that Alar Karis may reconsider his withdrawal if parliament cannot elect a president.

"I think that is possible, because then more concrete proposals can be made to him, especially if he has coalition support. Much depends on the Reform Party; without them no one is elected, but their candidate may not be elected either. If the matter reaches the electoral college, the intensity of the struggle increases and then presumably negotiations begin. But no other candidate can achieve in two months the public support that Karis currently has," Johansen emphasised.