President Alar Karis said in his Victory Day parade on Tuesday that he will not stand as a candidate at this autumn’s election, putting an end to months of speculation.
“Dear people of Estonia, as head of state, I wish you a happy Victory Day and a joyful Midsummer Eve for the last time,” Karis said in his speech in Rapla on Tuesday morning.
The president’s term ends this autumn, and Karis had promised to confirm around Midsummer whether or not he intended to run again.
Speaking to ERR after the speech, he said: “This decision was not made today, or a month ago, or even a couple of years ago. The question was always when to make this decision public so that it would not interfere with day-to-day work.”
Karis said that he decided not to run for personal reasons. “Certainly one reason is also that when I took office, I promised my family that it would be one term,” the president added.
Asked what he would remember most from his term, Karis replied: “I think the meetings with people are what will stay with me. I am very grateful for the high level of trust that the people of Estonia have given me, and certainly also to those politicians who were ready to stand behind me if I had decided to run.”
Asked if he had any advice for his successor, the head of state said: “Inner peace may be even more important than worrying about an external enemy.”
“Today we saw that there are many young people here, and older ones too, who are ready to defend our country or rather to prevent anyone from wanting to attack us at all. If we can remain calm at home and be courteous to one another, listen to the other person and understand them, then I think things become a little easier,” Karis said.
Estonia’s head of state is elected by the parliament, not directly by the people, and it has been widely discussed that Karis would not have enough support to win another term.
The Riigikogu will convene to elect the president on September 2.
It is not yet known who the candidates will be; only EKRE’s Mart Helme, a former minister of the interior, has put himself forward for the role.
This article was updated to add comments from President Alar Karis.
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