Alar Karis: 5 years as Estonia's president in pictures
Alar Karis took office in October 2021 promising to be a balancer and a mediator. Five years later, his term is over This is a short selection of his presidency in pictures.
Karis was head of state when Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an invasion which is still ongoing as he departs from Kadriorg.
The Karis presidency in numbers
Alar Karis presidency ran 2021-2026 and he was Estonia's fifth head of state following the restoration of independence in 1991. As president he followed Lennart Meri (1992-2001), Arnold Rüütel (2001-2006), Toomas Hendrik Ilves (2006-2016) and Kersti Kaljulaid (2016-2021).
Per term, Karis promulgated fewer laws than any of his predecessors except Rüütel, and declined to give his assent than more any of the other heads of state save for Meri.
Karis promulgated 517 laws during his single term, and left 11 unsigned, one of them twice. Kersti Kaljulaid gave her assent to 498 and left six unsigned. Ilves promulgated 1,253 across two terms and left nine unpromulgated. Meri gave his assent to 1,489 across two terms and left 42 laws without his assent, and Rüütel promulgated 850 and left 12 without being promulgated.
Karis made 122 foreign visits over the five years, compared with 136 for Kaljulaid over the same time-frame, and 246 for Ilves across 10 years.
He hosted 42 foreign heads of state in Estonia, of which eight were state visits, the highest level.
With Ülle Madise's inauguration on Monday, Karis will become one of three surviving former presidents, along with Ilves and Kaljulaid.
President Karis announced at midsummer this year he would not be seeking a second term.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
