Estonian President Alar Karis announced that he would not run for a second term in office, ERR reported. He said that he had made the decision a long time ago and cited personal reasons. One reason was that he had promised his family that he would only serve one term, Karis explained. The chairman of the opposition Fatherland party, Urmas Reinsalu, and leader of the opposition Estonian Centre Party, Mihhail Kõlvart, both accused the ruling coalition of forcing out a popular president, Estonian World reported. Meanwhile, the chairman of the ruling Estonian Reform Party, Prime Minister Kristen Michal, reiterated that Karis did not have sufficient support in the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu. He said that the candidate for new president, preferably a woman, should be strong on both domestic and foreign policy. The parliament will convene to elect the next president on 2 September 2026.
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