Kallas, who is current education minister, previously led the party from its formation in 2018, until late 2022.

Foreign minister Margus Tsahkna announced earlier in summer he would be stepping down as leader, a post he had held since late 2023.

Kallas is taking over a party which it would be fair to say has had a tough time of it in recent times, facing multiple controversies involving some of its members and a rating below the 5-percent mark required to win seats at a Riigikogu election.

Eesti 200 has been in office with Reform and the Social Democrats (SDE) since April 2023 and won 14 seats, its first Riigikogu mandates, at the general election the previous month. It is also in office in Tallinn, along with SDE, Reform and Isamaa.

The party failed to win a seat at the June European Parliament election.

Saturday's congress, held at the Proto Invention Factory in Tallinn, will also elect the Eesti 200 board, from among 21 candidates, audit committee and court of honor, and will approve amended party statutes.

Among those running include MP and virologist Irja Lutsar, running for the board, and Riigikogu speaker and former Eesti 200 leader Lauri Hussar, who is running for the court of honor post.

Several key Eesti 200 politicians fail to put in good showing

Recently influential members, including Eesti 200's executive manager Igor Taro, President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar and MPs Marek Reinaas, Tarmo Tamm and Peeter Tali, failed to land seats on bodies they had their sights on.

Taro, Tamm and Tali failed to make Eesti 200's management board, taking just 88, 41 and 63 votes, respectively, while the party's Riigikogu deputy whip Marek Reinaas was not elected to the review board.

Former Eesti 200 chair, President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar ran for honorary court chairman but was not elected, his 89 votes topped by Mait Kornet's 112.

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