Who Is Ülle Madise, Estonia’s New President-Elect?
Text Stewart Johnson Photo The Office of the Chancellor of Justice
Today, 2 September, presidential elections took place in the Riigikogu, or Estonian Parliament. Ülle Madise, the Chancellor of Justice, was elected to be the next President of the Republic of Estonia. She is the second woman to be elected President in this country. On the day of the election, she was the sole candidate, and had the support of 75 members of the Riigikogu from multiple parties before the election. 68 is the threshold required to be elected. Madise received 71 votes, and she will be sworn into office on 12 October, 2026.
President Prof. Dr. Ülle Madise, as her official title could be, is a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration, and she has been a visiting professor at the University of Tartu since 2011. Since 2015 Madise has been the Chancellor of Justice, having been re-elected to serve a second term in this office.
But who is she?
Née Ülle Anton in Tartu on 11 December, 1974 in Tartu, Estonia, Madise is the daughter of Tõnu Anton, a former politician and judge who voted for the restoration of independence in 1991. Ülle grew up in Tartu, and was later cum laude at the University of Tartu’s Faculty of Law in 1998. Her husband is Lauri Madise, a judge in the Court of Justice of the European Union. According to reports, she enjoys watching nature documentaries in her spare time…this means she keeps her private life very private.
The current president, Alar Karis, decided not to stand for re-election in June. Madise will be the seventh President of the Republic of Estonia. Presidents in Estonia can only be in office for two consecutive terms, but they could hold office for a third or even fourth term if there is a break in their terms. This has never happened, however. In fact, only two presidents have ever been re-elected for a second term.
The President of the Republic of Estonia is chosen by the Riigikogu, and not by popular vote. This has been slightly controversial, but there has been little to no effort to change this. If a candidate for president is not chosen in the first round of voting, there will be a second vote at a later date, and if necessary a third round of voting after that.
The Baltic Guide wishes Estonia’s new President-Elect congratulations, and success! Elagu Eesti!
To learn more about this and similar topicsEstonian Elections Estonian Politics Estonian President Estonia’s new president Parliament Riigikogu Ülle Madise
