President to take weeklong vacation following Independence Day
Following Independence Day on Friday, President Kersti Kaljulaid will be going on a weeklong family vacation.
PR Adviser to the President Taavi Linnamäe, according to whom Kaljulaid had this vacation planned already before her election last fall, told daily Eesti Päevaleht (link in Estonian) that she will be traveling abroad.
The president does not plan to formally take any vacation days, which would entail President of the Riigikogu Eiki Nestor, who himself will be out of the country for three days on a foreign visit next week, taking over her duties.
"The established practice is that the head of state has not taken their vacation days and finds time for their family and for relaxation in between or in addition to their duties," Linnamäe explained.
"Naturally [President Kaljulaid] will remain the head of state during this time and considering modern means of communication, she will be around, so to speak, and in touch," he noted. "But she has no other work obligations planned for that week."
While the president will not be formally taking any vacation days, Linnamäe stressed that both Kaljulaid and the Office of the President will nonetheless treat next week as though it were a vacation, which means that they will also seek the opportunity to avoid Kaljulaid having to accept statutory compensation for the officially unused paid vacation days at the end of her term of office.
Editor: Aili Vahtla