Estonia’s national-conservative opposition party, Fatherland, will support Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise’s candidacy for president, ERR reported. Fatherland chairman Urmas Reinsalu said that the decisive factors in the party’s decision to back Madise were her “Estonia-centred vision” and “national positions,” ERR reported. Madise’s candidacy was first proposed by the opposition Social Democratic Party, and she has the support of the ruling coalition’s Estonian Reform Party and Estonia 200 as well. Madise thus appears to have enough votes to be elected president in the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu. The parliament will begin voting on the president on 2 September 2026.
Meanwhile, the opposition Estonian Centre Party decided to back Madise’s main rival in the presidential race, Tallinn University of Technology rector Tiit Land, ERR reported. The opposition Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) has named its founder, Mart Helme, as its candidate for president. However, neither the Centre Party nor EKRE have enough MPs to nominate their candidate officially in parliament. In the meantime, independent MP Meelis Kiili, who recently resigned from Reform, said that there was no campaign in parliament to collect signatures in support of Land’s candidacy, ERR reported. The parliament has currently altogether 20 independent MPs.
Speaking in an interview with Vikerraadio, Madise stressed her impartiality in relation to political parties, the ruling coalition, and the opposition, ERR reported. She noted that the president must appear to be “credible and trustworthy” to all Estonian people, regardless of their worldview. Madise suggested that liberals may think that she is conservative and conservatives that she is liberal. Earlier, a Turu-Uuringute poll for DELFI conducted before Land entered the race, Madise’s support among voters stood at 32%, ERR reported. When including those who were undecided, her support was just 22%, however. Meanwhile, an ongoing online poll by Maaleht shows Madise’s support at 38%.