Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and 2016 presidential candidate Marina Kaljurand has rejected the possibility that she would succeed Jevgeni Ossinovski as chairperson of the Social Democratic Party (SDE).

"A chairperson needs to be replaced when there is need to do so," Ms Kaljurand said in a live interview on ETV following the elections on Sunday. "A chairperson is replaced once there is a better chairperson to replace them. I am not that person."

She added that she had neither the experience nor the ambition needed of a party chairperson.

"Let's hear what Jevgeni says and then continue one step at a time," Ms Kaljurand said. "There's no reason to take any speculation that far. But I will nix this speculation outright — I am not the Social Democrats' chairwoman, should this question even come up."

Political observers believe that a change in chairperson may be on the agenda in connection with the SDE's poorer than expected election results. Allegedly interested in Mr Ossinovski's chair is Indrek Saar, minister of culture in the outgoing coalition government.

Ms Kaljurand was a popular favourite in the summer and autumn leading up to the 2016 presidential elections, where she nonetheless did not receive enough votes in either the Riigikogu or the Electoral College to be elected.