President of the Republic

The President of the Republic is the Head of State of Estonia. Generally, the Head of State has a limited political power, a representational function and the role of an arbiter, i.e. the balancer of powers.

 

The President of the Republic is elected by the Riigikogu or by the electoral body. A candidate for the President of the Republic must be a born citizen of Estonia and must have the age of at least 40 years.

 

The President of the Republic is elected for five years. One person can be the President of the Republic for a maximum of two consecutive terms.

 

The President of the Republic must be independent both professionally and also politically in the sense of political parties. With assumption of office, all powers and tasks of the President of the Republic in all other elected and assigned offices shall end, and also any participation in a political party is suspended for the period of the term of office. The criterion in regard with other offices is not the fact of receiving or non-receiving of salary but the obligations resulting from the office, including acting as a member of a board or a council of a profit association.

Since the date of 09.10.2006, the President of the Republic of Estonia is Toomas Hendrik Ilves.