In the presidential elections held in 2016, Kersti Kaljulaid was nominated as the candidate for the head of state by 90 members of the Riigikogu on 30 September and was elected to the post with the votes of 81 of the 101 members of the parliament on 3 October. She was inaugurated as the fifth President of the Republic of Estonia on 10 October 2016, taking over in the role from President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
During her time in office, President Kaljulaid made her presence felt in both her homeland and the international arena. One of her guiding principles in her role as head of state was one which she set out at the start of her time in office: “I am never silent when our security is in question, when our freedoms are at stake or when those weaker than us are treated unjustly.”
“I am never silent when our security is in question, when our freedoms are at stake or when those weaker than us are treated unjustly.”
The keywords by which President Kaljulaid’s time in office will be remembered in Estonia are the equal treatment of all, the need to reduce regional differences in the country, the need to recognise those who are being treated unjustly and the need to support those who have not enjoyed the same starting positions as others. Among the most significant issues she dealt with are the fight against domestic violence and breaking down the wall of silence in society; preserving Estonia’s language, culture and traditions; and whether we can in fact implement the green transition smartly and swiftly while remaining at the digital forefront globally and maintaining high standards and equality in education.
President Kaljulaid’s time in office overlapped with the work of two parliaments and four governments, the first led by Taavi Rõivas, the second and third by Jüri Ratas and the fourth by Kaja Kallas. She worked closely with both the governments and the parliament in a number of areas during her five years as head of state. At the same time, she raised concerns on a number of occasions about the ever-diminishing role played by the Riigikogu in the organisation of society. Among other things, she underscored the need to defend and champion the principles underlying our society: democracy, human rights, equal treatment and freedom of speech.
Kersti Kaljulaid’s time in office as president was also marked by the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia (from 2018-2020); the Office of the President relocating for a number of weeks to Narva, south-eastern Estonia and Pärnu; and many visits to every corner of the country. The head of state considered the role of local governments important and met with the majority of Estonia’s local councils prior to the administrative reforms of 2017 and with the councils of the newly merged local governments in the years following the reforms.
President Kaljulaid was an equal and very much proactive partner to all of her colleagues in regard to foreign policy. Not only did she repeatedly meet with the heads of state of other countries in our region, but also with Donald Trump, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Pope Francis and other influential figures from around the world. In her international dealings, organisations such as the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and the OECD figured significantly.
Early in her time in office, President Kaljulaid took it upon herself to lead her nation’s bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council – the world’s most important forum for cooperation. In a major victory for the country, its membership was approved in June 2019 and Estonia took its two-year seat on the council in 2020. On President Kaljulaid’s initiative, Estonia was also the driving force behind ‘Three Seas’ in 2019 and 2020: a practical initiative linking Central and Eastern Europe and a substantial new form of transatlantic cooperation.
One of the priorities of all of President Kaljulaid’s international interaction during her five years in office was business diplomacy and creating new opportunities for Estonian companies on foreign markets, from Eastern Partnership states and the surrounding region to Asia, Africa and South America. High-level cooperation also increased significantly in this period with countries on the southern wing of NATO to determine the actual situation in our region and better understand the views of our partners and allies.
In summer 2021, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed President Kaljulaid to the position of Global Advocate for the ‘Every Woman Every Child’ strategy on the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents around the world for the next two years. The head of state was also the first Estonian to be selected by the prestigious magazine Forbes as one of the world’s 100 most influential women.
During her five years in office, President Kaljulaid became a sought-after speaker at events like the Munich Security Conference and Yalta European Strategy forum as well as in UN initiatives. She also regularly spoke at important events in Estonia, including Latitude59, the Lennart Meri Conference and Tallinn Music Week.
President Kersti Kaljulaid brought the Estonian word komberuum (‘behavioural space’, referring to traditions) into everyday use and often spoke of a ‘seamless society’ in which the state, private sector and third sector work together to make the country a better place. The head of state liked to end her speeches with the words “Let us cherish Estonia!”, imploring her fellow countrymen to protect Estonia and hold on to what they have.