On Monday afternoon, President-elect Ülle Madise and her husband Lauri Madise arrived at the Office of the President in Kadriorg, where they were welcomed by President Alar Karis and his wife Sirje Karis.

From there, they traveled together to Toompea Hill, where the outgoing president greeted the Guard Battalion honor guard assembled in Lossi Square before Madise and Karis entered Toompea Castle.

At the ceremony, which began at 3 p.m., Karis delivered a final speech as head of state before President-elect Ülle Madise took the oath of office and delivered her first address as president of the Republic of Estonia.

The ceremony and speeches were broadcast live on ERR channels.

Born and educated in Tartu, 51-year-old Ülle Madise is a lawyer by training. She has previously worked at the Ministry of Justice, on the Riigikogu's Constitutional Committee, as chief auditor at the National Audit Office, as legal adviser to the president and, since 2015, as chancellor of justice. She was reappointed to the latter position for a second term in late 2021.

Ülle Madise is married to Lauri Madise, who works as a judge at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg. The couple have no children. Ülle Madise's father is former politician and Supreme Court justice Tõnu Anton.

Madise was nominated as a presidential candidate by 75 members of the Riigikogu. Representatives of the Reform Party, Eesti 200, Isamaa, the Social Democrats and unaffiliated MPs submitted the relevant documents to the National Electoral Committee.

The Riigikogu elected Madise president in a secret ballot with 71 votes.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!