Last week, 80-year-old Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil's presidential election, marking the fourth time he has been elected president. In the United States, elderly presidents have followed one another in office, with Donald Trump succeeding Joe Biden.

When Trump first took office in 2017, he was 70 years old, making him at the time the third-oldest person to become U.S. president. When he took office for a second time at age 78, he became the oldest person ever inaugurated as U.S. president, surpassing Biden's record. Biden was just over 100 days younger.

Kilp said that since Bill Clinton became president in 1993, the United States has largely been led by men born in the 1940s. The only exception has been Barack Obama, who was born in 1961.

At the same time, Kilp said elderly top politicians should not automatically be viewed as a problem. He compared politics to traffic: some people can still drive perfectly well in their 90s, while others cannot.

He pointed to his colleague, University of Tartu political science professor emeritus Rein Taagepera, who at 93 continues to produce innovative, high-quality research, even compared with colleagues decades younger.

According to Kilp, older politicians have accumulated political capital over a long period, which helps them reach senior positions. Once they get there, institutions tend to hold on to them, leaving fewer opportunities for younger colleagues to advance.

Still, Europe does not have many elderly national leaders. Only Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are in their 70s. Kilp said this reflects greater political turnover in Europe, where leaders generally do not remain in office as long.

Young politicians shaped Estonia

Estonia stands out for the youthful nature of its politics in the 1990s, Kilp said.

"People asked who among us had collaborated with the occupiers under the previous regime, and there was a complete restart," he said.

As a result, young politicians such as Mart Laar and Edgar Savisaar rose to the top of Estonian politics. They became prime ministers at ages 32 and 41, respectively. They were not the only young prime ministers Estonia has had.

Kilp argued that just as some older politicians remain in office once they reach power, the so-called political broilers who rose through party youth organizations in the 2000s have also stayed in politics and have not necessarily made room for younger generations.

As examples, he cited Jüri Ratas and Taavi Rõivas. Both became prime minister while still in their 30s. Rõivas has since left frontline politics, although he remains a member of the Reform Party. Ratas, meanwhile, has switched from his political "incubator," the Center Party, to Isamaa.

Estonia requires candidates for parliament to be at least 21 years old. The same requirement applies to European Parliament candidates until 2029, after which 18-year-olds will be eligible to run. Presidential candidates must be at least 40 years old.

Population aging continues

Kadri Simm, professor of practical ethics at the University of Tartu said it is positive that people are living longer while remaining active in society and enjoying a high quality of life.

Kilp acknowledged that one reason behind the spread of gerontocracy, or rule by the elderly, may be aging populations, a trend seen throughout the Western world. For example, the U.S.-based Population Reference Bureau estimates that the number of Americans aged 65 and older will rise by 42 percent by 2050.

A briefing paper published last year by Estonia's Foresight Center found that population aging will also affect Estonia. The country's long-term care costs could increase between threefold and fifteenfold while the population declines.

Simm said a common criticism of aging societies is that older people dominate positions of power and make up a large share of voters, potentially leaving younger generations' interests unprotected.

However, she argued that it is unrealistic to assume older voters support only policies that benefit themselves.

"Standing up for the interests of young people is important for preserving society and culture. Why wouldn't older generations support that? Most of them have children and grandchildren as well," Simm said.

She added that an aging society does not inevitably lead to gerontocracy.

"At the moment, younger generations are also the ones electing older politicians. They can choose differently if they want to," she said.

Older generations should not be viewed solely as a cost, Simm said.

"Their life experience and knowledge are extremely valuable. Often, they can contribute much more than they take," she concluded.

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