President of Estonia
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The President of the Republic (Estonian: Vabariigi President) is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia. As Estonia is a parliamentary democracy, the President is mainly a symbolic figurehead and doesn't hold strong executive power. The President has to suspend his or her membership in any political party during the term.
The current President is Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who was elected to the post by an electoral college on 23 September 2006.
According to the 1992 Constitution of Estonia, the following duties are attributed to the President:
- Representing Estonia in international relations.
- Conferring diplomatic ranks, appointing and recalling diplomatic representatives of Estonia, accepting letters of credence from foreign diplomatic representatives accredited to Estonia, signing instruments of ratification, etc.
- Promulgating laws or returning them to the Riigikogu for a new debate. However, the President cannot veto the law if it is passed in Riigikogu again.
- The President has the right to initiate amendment of the Constitution.
- He is the Supreme Commander of Estonia's national defence, convenes and presides over the National Defence Council and confers military ranks.
The Prime Minister is nominated by the president, but has to be approved by the Parliament.
The President is elected by the Riigikogu for a five-year term; if he or she does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes.
The President can not be elected for more than two consecutive terms.
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[edit] History
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Estonia didn't have a president from 1918 to 1938. Until 1934, the head of state was the State Elder. (riigivanem), who was also head of the government. Estonia's constitution was changed in 1933, transforming the country from a parliamentary to a presidential state. The head of state, according to the new constitution, was also to be called State Elder. However, this provision never came into effect as a result of Konstantin Päts's coup in 1934. A third constitution, adopted in 1938, named the head of state President, who was given strong executive power. Konstantin Päts became the first person to bear this title. His term was to last for six years, but ended short as Estonia was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, Päts was forced to resign and later arrested.
During Soviet rule in Estonia, the head of the exile government of the Republic of Estonia was formally called "Prime Minister in the duties of the President".
After Estonia regained independence, a parliamentary constitution was adopted again. Four elections have taken place (in 1992, 1996, 2001 and 2006), in all of which the parliament failed to choose the President and the election passed to the electoral assembly. Lennart Meri was elected in 1992 and re-elected in 1996, defeating Arnold Rüütel both times. Rüütel himself became the next President in 2001. In 2006, Toomas Hendrik Ilves won the election.
[edit] Presidents of Estonia
[edit] 1938 to 1940
| Name | Start of Term | End of Term | Party | |
| 1 | Konstantin Päts | 24 April 1938 | 23 July 1940 | Isamaaliit |
[edit] 1992 to present
| Name | Start of Term | End of Term | Party (before elected) | |
| 2 | Lennart Meri | October 6, 1992 | October 8, 2001 | Pro Patria |
| 3 | Arnold Rüütel | October 8, 2001 | October 9, 2006 | People's Union of Estonia |
| 4 | Toomas Hendrik Ilves | October 9, 2006 | October 10, 2011 | Social Democratic Party |
[edit] See also
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