In the second round, the Estonian parliament elected the director of the country’s national museum as president, Phrasa Press reports.
Alar Karis, 53, is a biologist by education, a professor at the University of Tartu, studied in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, but was also a national auditor from 2013 to 2018.
He was the only candidate nominated by the ruling coalition.
He needed at least 68 votes – two-thirds of the majority in the 101-seat parliament.
Yesterday in the first round of voting Karis was supported by 63 deputies, today – 72.
In his speech in parliament, he vowed to be a “good partner of all factions and political forces” as long as he is president, which in Estonia is mainly a ceremonial situation.
His term begins on October 11, when he will replace the first woman head of state, Kersti Kalulaid.