Reform has not announced its full nine-candidate list yet, but it is known that Ilves, 36, who most recently worked as the digital development under-secretary at the economic affairs ministry, will be on the list. He joined the party on Monday.

Ilves said via a press release: "Estonia and Europe face two major challenges today."

"The first of these concerns security. The West needs to stand firm and mobilize the wealth of the free nations towards a common goal: Ensuring Ukraine's victory, boosting collective defensive capabilities and offering a credible alternative to China's development model," he added.

"The second concerns the economy and the AI-based economic revolution is gaining momentum. The U.S. and China are moving ahead, leaving Europe behind. Brussels holds the keys to reversing this trend," he went on.

Reform Party leader and Prime Minister Kaja Kallas noted her positive experience of collaboration as an MEP with Ilves when the latter was a diplomat at Estonia's Permanent Representation to the EU.

"Luukas has deep knowledge of tech and cybersecurity, is familiar with the Brussels corridors of power, and speaks fluent English, German, and French. This makes me confident that he can defend in Europe firmly issues which are important to Estonia," she said.

Ilves has worked as an official at the Ministry of Defense, the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA), and most recently as the deputy secretary general for digital development at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications; the state's IT guru, in short.

In Brussels, he has worked at the European Commission and the Estonian Permanent Representation as noted, where he led the digital policy team and program during Estonia's Presidency of the Council of the EU, which the country held in the latter half of 2017.

He has also served as deputy director at the Lisbon Council think tank, which despite its name is based in Brussels, and as director of strategy and research cooperation at Estonian cybersecurity firm Guardtime.

Ilves is a graduate of Stanford University where he majored in International Relations. He is the son of Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Estonia's president over two terms, 2006-2016.

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