Kaljulaid, a former president of Estonia, was voted EOK leader in October 2024. Her term has been dogged by accusations over her leadership style and the running of the organization, including financially, while a clash of worldviews has also been identified in some quarters.
Of 123 EOK members, 98 are registered to take part, comfortably above the quorum of 62.
Removing Kaljulaid as EOK chair would need 50 or more votes in favor, i.e. an absolute majority of all those present.
The initiator of the no-confidence motion, Heino Märks, a former defense forces sports chief, submitted to the EOK 13 signatures, the exact number needed for the motion to go ahead, at the start of this month.
Late last week, Märks said he hoped for a vote in favor of the motion of around 70.
A fresh poll by the Institute of Societal Studies (Ühiskonnauuringute Instituut), a conservative think tank, revealed 58 percent of respondents would pick former decathlete Erki Nool as EOK president, compared with 23 percent who said they would want Kaljulaid to stay in place.
Nool, who took gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, has been mentioned in the media as a possible candidate.
Kaljulaid and Nool were the only candidates presented in that survey; 19 percent of respondents answered “don’t know.”
The question was recast, this time pitting Kaljulaid against her predecessor, big businessman Urmas Sõõrumaa. While the latter emerged favorite with 41 percent of respondents, the gap was not so large as between Nool and Kaljulaid – who polled at 30 percent in this case, while nearly as many again, 29 percent, were unable to state a preference.
Respondents were also asked if they backed the no-confidence motion in Kaljulaid passing. To this question, 42 percent responded in the affirmative (“yes” or “preferably yes,”) compared with 28 percent who responded “no” or “preferably not.” A further 30 percent responded “don’t know.”
As to why people would try to oust Kaljulaid, she and the current EOK board have faced criticism on the organization’s financial management, the definition of coaching qualifications, and Kaljulaid’s leadership style, including, Sõõrumaa told Vikerraadio in March, Kaljulaid and her board not being sufficiently neutral on various issues.
The debate on the coaching qualification system was significant after freestyle skier Henry Sildaru’s medal win at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February. Sildaru’s coach is his father, Tõnis, who lacks an official coaching certification. Sildaru senior has also faced charges of financial mismanagement and abuse from his daughter, Kelly, Henry’s older sibling and also a freestyle skiing star.
Nool this week said the EOK has never had such a poor reputation as it does now. Both Kaljulaid and Märks also spoke during the studio discussion. Two-time Olympic champion Erika Salumäe said on Friday on Vikerraadio that she had proposed to Nool that he run for EOK president, which the Olympic decathlon champion accepted.
Nool also has the public backing of another former Olympian, cyclist Erika Salumäe.
Salumäe won track cycling gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and again at the 1992 Barcelona games, by which time Estonia had become an independent country again. She was also the subject of a recent biopic. While Salumäe resides in Spain, she was among the 13 signatories of the no-confidence motion.
“In my personal view, the current president, in terms of character, knowledge, sporting integrity, and sponsorship funding, could be Erki Nool,” Salumäe told Vikerraadio this week, adding she had proposed a bid to him, and that he has the knowledge of elite sport and the funding to be successful, as well as being held in high regard by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“I am like Erki Nool — top athletes are honest: no, I do not support [her],” Salumäe said.
“The mistakes that have been made have harmed coaches and athletes. That can never be supported. It shouldn’t be taken personally — this is a system that was not made to work. And I cannot support what is happening now.”
“Let’s say that if Kersti continues, then at least this vote of no confidence — which is already historic in Estonian sport — may provide a serious push to review all the issues that led to the attempt to remove her. Perhaps these problems will move in a better direction and find solutions—that would already be a win for Estonian sport. I don’t believe that if she remains EOK president, she and her team would fail to draw conclusions from this,” Salumäe added.
Nool is the coach of Finnish heptathlete Saga Vanninen.
Kaljulaid was president of Estonia 2016-2021. She was no stranger to controversy during her term and some of the current criticisms of her EOK leadership echo those seen during her time as head of state. The latter half of her term coincided with the right wing Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) being in office, with whose leadership she often clashed.
Sports journalist Ott Järvela this week identified a clash of worldviews also, between Kaljulaid and, for instance, Nool. The latter has in the past been known for his outspoken and conservative views, in 2013 (link in Estonian) for example recommending avoiding the company of homosexuals, if one wanted to avoid starting to engage in homosexual activity oneself, plus advocating conversion therapy. This week he referred to what has been going on with the EOK under Kaljulaid as “bullshit,” using the English term.
Removal of an Estonian president is governed by the Constitution and can only happen by Supreme Court decision in cases where the head of state is found to be incapable of performing their duties. With the EOK presidency, the process, as outlined above, is a lot simpler. As noted, Märks obtained the bare minimum number of signatures needed for the no-confidence motion to go ahead.
The Norstat survey referenced above was conducted online from April 23 to 24, polling 989 Estonian citizens aged 18 and over.
The EOK general assembly convenes on Monday at 1 p.m.
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Source:
ERR Sport, “Vikerhommik”, interviewers Margit Kilumets and Sten Teppan.
