ERR — broadcast
20261012 123000 UTC
541 transcript segments
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[00:00:00] The date of the National Defense Council, as provided for in the Constitution, is already
[00:00:03] set. The adage "hard in training, easy in battle"
[00:00:07] would further develop so that if the training
[00:00:10] is especially tough, then there will be no battle at all, which is our
[00:00:13] goal.
[00:00:16] Against a lack of ideas and uniformity, on home soil, one could
[00:00:20] start with bold thoughts and dreaming.
[00:00:24] The President's think tank is one such
[00:00:26] place. Thinking together, debating, and
[00:00:30] humor bring out the best in people,
[00:00:33] from academics to schoolchildren.
[00:00:36] This is how new ideas are born.
[00:00:40] The President can recognize and support all who work
[00:00:43] to ensure that families have a place to live and raise
[00:00:47] children, that the birth of a child does not lead to financial
[00:00:50] hardship, that even those who want to build a home
[00:00:53] in the countryside can get a loan. May
[00:00:56] a child- and family-friendly Estonia be the theme of upcoming
[00:01:00] and all elections,
[00:01:03] not by cornering and defending anyone, but by cheerfully
[00:01:06] showing how very well
[00:01:08] it can be done.
[00:01:11] It is possible that a mental health tiger leap is also needed.
[00:01:14] Yes, of course, more psychologists and
[00:01:18] psychiatrists are needed,
[00:01:21] but we should immediately get rid
[00:01:24] of unnecessary tensions that
[00:01:27] increasingly break people.
[00:01:32] Excessive destructive competitiveness, backstabbing, noise,
[00:01:36] bullying, injustice, loneliness, fear, and worry, hopelessness are not
[00:01:40] inevitable facts of life.
[00:01:43] I will do my best so that we dare and know how
[00:01:46] to free ourselves from as much of them as possible, because
[00:01:49] why be unhappy and lose when it is possible
[00:01:53] to be happy and
[00:01:54] win.
[00:01:57] The President can make it better heard.
[00:02:01] Where the shoe pinches, what is expected and hoped for in Võru and Virumaa,
[00:02:04] Mehikoorma and Häädemeeste, Saare and Hiiumaa, Paide and
[00:02:08] Põltsamaa, in all places where the local community works
[00:02:11] hard to ensure that life does not
[00:02:14] thrives, that tourism and business in general
[00:02:18] it makes sense to strive for generations.
[00:02:20] The money needed
[00:02:23] to maintain our free Estonian state can only be obtained through a strong and adaptable
[00:02:27] economy. This
[00:02:30] stop, let entrepreneurs be free, we don't
[00:02:34] need total comfort that makes people lazy and incompetent, we don't need
[00:02:36] orders that stifle creativity and entrepreneurship,
[00:02:40] prohibitions, unnecessary bureaucracy, or an overseer
[00:02:43] everywhere. The head of state can also remind of this,
[00:02:46] if necessary,
[00:02:48] by veto.
[00:02:51] I will take time to meet people from various walks of life
[00:02:55] across Estonia. To listen to them, to empathize with them,
[00:02:58] to try to understand. And then to carry
[00:03:02] the message forward. Me and my colleagues can be
[00:03:05] seen in gardens, factories, barns, in brainstorming
[00:03:08] corners of businesses, in schools, care homes, village squares, hospitals,
[00:03:12] city streets, and elsewhere where daily life happens, just
[00:03:16] as it is.
[00:03:19] I apologize in advance, I'm afraid I
[00:03:21] won't be able to attend ceremonies as often
[00:03:24] as I should, please
[00:03:25] be understanding.
[00:03:28] I hope to constantly communicate with the members of the Riigikogu, the Prime Minister and
[00:03:31] ministers, the leaders of constitutional institutions,
[00:03:34] understanding and respecting their role.
[00:03:38] Here too, trust matters, maintaining each other's dignity,
[00:03:42] and working together for the future of Estonia, for the good
[00:03:45] of all people
[00:03:46] here.
[00:03:50] Esteemed listeners,
[00:03:53] I have said it repeatedly and I will say it again, all
[00:03:56] our previous heads of state have been in the right place
[00:04:00] at the right time, making Estonia better and
[00:04:03] greater. Thank
[00:04:05] you very much!
[00:04:08] Thank you, Alar Karis.
[00:04:11] And I thank Mrs. Sirje
[00:04:14] separately here.
[00:04:20] Her work, solely for the benefit of Ukrainian children, deserves the highest
[00:04:24] recognition.
[00:04:27] Continuing the work of my predecessors, I feel great respect and
[00:04:30] responsibility.
[00:04:34] Dear Estonian people, if we trust each other,
[00:04:38] value freedom and responsibility, and
[00:04:41] a clear message instead of mild platitudes, we dare
[00:04:44] to be good people, trust life,
[00:04:47] believe in Estonia and keep a hopeful outlook,
[00:04:51] everything good is possible. Long live
[00:04:54] Estonia.
[00:05:07] That was Ülle Madise's speech as President
[00:05:11] of the Republic of Estonia. The first one, in other words,
[00:05:14] if one thought is to be taken away, then Estonia is one of the most pleasant places
[00:05:18] in the world to live, with mosquitoes,
[00:05:20] puddles, good and bad ski weather. I really
[00:05:24] liked this speech and I think we have been through this, I
[00:05:28] thank you, Madam President, and I
[00:05:31] thank the singers of the Estonian National Male Choir and their conductor
[00:05:35] Mikk
[00:05:35] Üleoja.
[00:05:45] With that, the solemn ceremony of the President of the Republic of Estonia
[00:05:48] taking office has ended. I will call a recess
[00:05:52] for 30 minutes.
[00:05:54] I wanted to say that we are at the birth of a new genre, because listening to her
[00:05:58] speech, it is clear that the name of this new genre is the Üllemadise-like
[00:06:02] speech. But the solemn Riigikogu session is over.
[00:06:05] Congratulations to the President of the Republic Ülle Madise, and thank
[00:06:09] you for your work, Alar Karis.
[00:06:12] The Speaker of the Riigikogu will now escort
[00:06:15] the presidents and their escorts out through the
[00:06:18] side door with the help
[00:06:20] of the Chancellor's Director, Ander Aabt. After that, they will go to the Speaker's
[00:06:24] chambers.
[00:06:27] And there will be another part of the ceremony,
[00:06:30] because a series of
[00:06:34] entries must be made. I can't even say how many
[00:06:37] books there are in total
[00:06:40] where the entry must be made. But it is clear that
[00:06:44] under the guidance of the Speaker of the Riigikogu, they will go to his office
[00:06:47] in the White Hall, where an entry will be made
[00:06:50] in the Riigikogu Guests' Book, and first
[00:06:53] President Karis and his wife
[00:06:56] will sign, and then the President of the Republic of Estonia
[00:07:00] Ülle Madise and her
[00:07:03] husband Lauri Madis. The Speaker of the Riigikogu
[00:07:06] Lauri Hussar
[00:07:08] will guide the entry. He wants to be the president of all Estonian people.
[00:07:12] president, and he believes that as president, his core nature will
[00:07:16] not change. Now, my good
[00:07:19] hea. Jaa, olen siin
[00:07:22] Riigikogu koridoris kinni püüdnud Reformierakonna
[00:07:25] peasekretäri Kristo N. Vaga. No Kristo, Ülle
[00:07:29] Madis rõhutas oma kõnes koostöövajalikkusest,
[00:07:33] usalduse ja sildadede ehitamisest. Kas te
[00:07:36] saite siit juba väikese vihje ka, millistest
[00:07:39] Eesti probleemidest ta tööd alustab? "ma arvan,
[00:07:43] selles Ülle madise kõnes oli väga palju sellist üldse
[00:07:46] inimlikkust ja seda, kus eestlased teevad
[00:07:49] väga mitmes erikohas, aga toredaid asju, noh sellest, et pannakse
[00:07:53] siis suve lõpus õunad kuhugi
[00:07:56] siis ee aia ette, et teised siis
[00:08:00] kaasmaalased saaksid neid võtta ja sellised väiksed asjad, et see teebki meist
[00:08:03] eestlased ja eks ta tahab seda, mul on tunne e väga tugevalt
[00:08:07] rõhutada, ütles välja, et võib-olla sellistes ametlikes
[00:08:10] kogunemistes on ee ta teeb..." seda võimalikult vähe ja pigem
[00:08:14] oleks nii noh mehikoormas, põltsamaal
[00:08:17] ettevõtete juures, rahvamajades, kõiges muus, ma arvan, et see
[00:08:20] on väga vajalik tänases ühiskonnas, kus selline
[00:08:23] teatav selline lõhestumine toimunud,
[00:08:27] tuntakse, et võib-olla keegi on ee, kõik ei ole nii-öelda
[00:08:30] ühtne meeskond, eestlased, ma arvan, et Ülle tahab
[00:08:34] presidendina seda siis ee kokku
[00:08:37] nii-öelda liimida, kokku trageldada, ma arvan, see on väga vajalik, no
[00:08:40] õmblusteta ühiskonnast rääkis juba... Kersti Kaljulaid omal ajal ja
[00:08:44] Ülle Madis on oma senistes kõnedes ka rõhutanud,
[00:08:48] et et väike riik ei ole tüüprojekt, vaid see on Rätsepa
[00:08:52] So, what kind of master tailor will we get?
[00:08:55] Can you predict what her style will be
[00:08:58] and will it be a president who looks more inward
[00:09:02] or outward? I think rather inward. I think this is also
[00:09:05] due to her previous job as Chancellor of Justice,
[00:09:09] that at the end of her speech, she also
[00:09:12] stressed that similarly, we shouldn't unnecessarily add
[00:09:16] too many commands and prohibitions, especially for entrepreneurs,
[00:09:20] that entrepreneurs should be set free, and I think that is actually very necessary,
[00:09:23] that the same was said by outgoing President Karis in his
[00:09:27] speech, that we still have to adapt to new
[00:09:30] technologies, and commands
[00:09:33] and regulations will not bring us any victory, and I think that
[00:09:36] actually the new President Ülle Madise confirmed this in her speech
[00:09:40] in the same way and... and I think we
[00:09:43] will get a president with a very strong domestic view, but fortunately, as a member
[00:09:47] of the National Defense Committee, I was very happy to see how
[00:09:50] all the important talking points, so to speak, in the direction of Ukraine, in terms of assisting Ukraine,
[00:09:54] the aggression, the aggressor, so to speak,
[00:09:57] then
[00:09:59] well yes, all of that, that we must hold Russia
[00:10:03] accountable, make them pay, and
[00:10:06] ensure peace for Ukraine. Well, the public got the impression that Alar Karis's
[00:10:10] second term was doomed because he picked a fight
[00:10:13] with the Reform Party. Will Ülle Madise be a more comfortable president
[00:10:17] for you? Absolutely not, we were not looking for a comfortable president. I think we got
[00:10:21] a very good president for Estonia, and a good president is not comfortable for any party.
[00:10:25] And I believe that in the next five years, it will be exactly so.
[00:10:29] Thank you.
[00:10:32] Ülle Madise, as president, wishes to be a creator of cooperation,
[00:10:35] not a destroyer, and according to her, impartiality
[00:10:38] is also important. She says that work must be done
[00:10:42] in the name of trust. But now let's all
[00:10:45] watch beautiful video footage of how Ülle
[00:10:48] Madise was elected
[00:10:49] president.
[00:10:55] At the time Ülle Madise entered Toompea Castle at midday on September 2nd,
[00:10:58] she had already come a long way to becoming head of state.
[00:11:02] coalition had officially
[00:11:05] discussed the presidential elections for the first time at the beginning of the year. Whether
[00:11:08] Ülle Madise was discussed then is not known, but soon
[00:11:12] Toompea politicians began talking about her in the corridors.
[00:11:16] True. In
[00:11:18] spring and early summer, the main question was whether Alar
[00:11:21] Karis wanted to continue or not. Happy Victory Day after Victory Day,
[00:11:25] things became clear, and the Social Democrats were the first to officially put forward
[00:11:29] Ülle Madise's name. At the time, it was perhaps even thought
[00:11:32] to be too early. However, the votes of the Reform Party,
[00:11:35] Eesti 200, and the Social Democrats were not enough
[00:11:38] to elect the president. It was thought in political circles that
[00:11:41] members of the Center Party faction who had previously wanted
[00:11:44] Alar Karis to continue might support
[00:11:46] Madise. It was thought that Isamaa would come out with its own candidate,
[00:11:50] as in previous times. Ülle Madise
[00:11:53] herself did not answer politicians. Neither yes nor no, and the waiting
[00:11:57] period began. On August 17,
[00:12:00] Ülle Madise announced that she was willing to run and began meeting with Riigikogu
[00:12:03] factions. A day later, Isamaa announced that it supported
[00:12:07] Ülle Madise's candidacy, and Urmas Reinsalu said that it
[00:12:11] was not a political game, but a substantive
[00:12:13] decision.
[00:12:15] On August 24, Ülle Madise was nominated
[00:12:19] as a presidential candidate with 75 signatures.
[00:12:21] However, 68 votes are needed to become president. And
[00:12:25] 75 seemed to confirm Madise
[00:12:27] as president. Yet, on September 2,
[00:12:31] it was tense in Toompea. Two signatories could not come,
[00:12:35] and the vote was secret. Ülle
[00:12:38] Madise was elected president with 71 votes.
[00:12:41] 71. What kind of president will she be? She
[00:12:45] answered that question herself after the election
[00:12:47] like this.
[00:12:50] And I try to meet those people who are more
[00:12:52] knowledgeable than me.
[00:13:00] And if you look at Ülle Madise's CV,
[00:13:03] it seems that by today she has practiced her entire
[00:13:07] previous life and probably all of that will be needed,
[00:13:10] because these five years will be quite long and at the same time
[00:13:13] short. And we have the opportunity
[00:13:17] to offer you more fresh interviews and emotions. Kristjan
[00:13:21] Pihl, please. Yes, here in the Riigikogu corridor
[00:13:25] beside me are Isamaa representative Priit Sibul and from the Center Party
[00:13:28] Lauri Laats. Well, Priit Sibul, starting today
[00:13:31] the era of Ülle Madise begins. What will change
[00:13:35] in Estonian state life today? I think what Ülle said, that she will start
[00:13:38] looking for and doing things to help people find
[00:13:42] common ground and positive nuances, and I think that is what is needed, because
[00:13:46] there is a lot of worry and trouble around. So now
[00:13:49] we need a person and, so to speak, a patron who
[00:13:53] would deal with finding these positive nuances, from the simplest
[00:13:57] person to, I don't know, an entrepreneur, politicians, just as
[00:14:00] it was described today, that this unity and positive emotions, that is what
[00:14:04] we need. Listen, today everyone is giving eulogies, but still,
[00:14:08] in the Isamaa party, there were doubts until the last minute. What did Ülle Madise
[00:14:11] say to convince you? Well, Ülle's personality,
[00:14:15] but I think there were disagreements until the very end, in that sense that we don't have angels,
[00:14:18] nor is President Ülle Madise. So I think
[00:14:22] let it be as it was, that
[00:14:26] today, today is, so to speak, the next day, and there's no point in looking for the reasons why
[00:14:30] someone supported someone else for what reasons. Lauri Laats,
[00:14:33] is Jule Madis also the president of the Center Party's voters?
[00:14:37] Well, if we talk about, so to speak, general surveys,
[00:14:40] then the Center Party voters definitely
[00:14:42] like her, and there are definitely voters who don't like her. What don't you
[00:14:46] like about her? No, I mean, it's not a question of
[00:14:49] whether we like her or not, the question was, if you ask why we
[00:14:53] didn't support it at first, it's because we wanted to have
[00:14:57] at least two candidates, or even more, so that a debate would emerge,
[00:15:00] a discussion. I think our democratic society would have benefited
[00:15:03] from that. It didn't happen, one
[00:15:06] candidate came, and one candidate also gained support in the Riigikogu,
[00:15:10] and as you can see, bridge-building has already
[00:15:12] begun.
[00:15:16] And now, everything is ready
[00:15:19] on the castle square for the next stage of the ceremony,
[00:15:23] which means that everything we saw before
[00:15:26] the beginning of the festive session will be repeated in reverse.
[00:15:30] Simply, at some point, when President Ülle Madise
[00:15:34] leaves the building as President of the Republic,
[00:15:37] she will then be doing what Alar Karis did upon entering
[00:15:41] the building. But the presidents are now going
[00:15:44] to the White Hall of the Riigikogu, where there will be a ceremony,
[00:15:47] and photos will be taken. And if there
[00:15:51] are a few moments left, then in the academic world, Ülle
[00:15:55] Madise has actually been a professor of public law at Tallinn University of Technology
[00:15:58] and also a professor of constitutional law at the University of Tartu,
[00:16:01] and she is considered one of Estonia's most recognized
[00:16:04] experts in constitutional law, and she has
[00:16:08] also been the editor-in-chief of the commented edition
[00:16:11] of the Constitution. But the Riigikogu elected Ülle
[00:16:14] Madise as Chancellor of Justice in 2021,
[00:16:17] and then she was elected to
[00:16:21] this position a second time. As Chancellor of Justice, she has
[00:16:24] stood for constitutional values, fundamental rights, and
[00:16:28] the principles of the rule of law, and today's
[00:16:31] inauguration marks the beginning of a new chapter in her
[00:16:35] long service to both the Estonian state and society. I cannot
[00:16:39] help but mention that every time I see the straight line and shining eyes
[00:16:42] of the Guard Battalion, my heart feels especially warm,
[00:16:46] because they are proud boys. But the president will
[00:16:50] hire several different people
[00:16:53] to work at the Office of the President of the Republic, who
[00:16:57] have also already been mentioned in public. For example,
[00:17:00] the former Secretary of State Taimar Peterkopp
[00:17:03] will start working as an advisor
[00:17:07] to the National Defense Council. And at least one innovation has
[00:17:11] been revealed, that Ülle Madise wants to start organizing
[00:17:14] meetings of the National Defense Council regularly. But things are about to get lively
[00:17:18] in this building, figuratively speaking, because there are Riigikogu elections in March, and this
[00:17:21] means that our domestic political temperature, which is already quite
[00:17:25] high, is likely to boil over in the coming months,
[00:17:29] as I would say. And the president actually has a very important role
[00:17:32] in this process, it's about maintaining
[00:17:36] a nice, calm tone. And treating all parties
[00:17:40] equally, because conflict is inherent. The opposition would
[00:17:43] always want the president to reject all coalition bills, but
[00:17:47] the president cannot and must not do that, because then she
[00:17:50] would not be a balanced president. Ülle Madise also said
[00:17:54] in her speech today, "Let us not let ourselves
[00:17:57] be turned against each other, we need to trust each other and
[00:18:00] build the future," and actually, even in
[00:18:04] Alar Karis's outgoing president's
[00:18:07] speeches, the issue of social temperature was very important
[00:18:11] today. Well, the president's,
[00:18:15] for me, one of the main ideas was that she warned
[00:18:18] against indifference, which is the great enemy of a free, democratic
[00:18:21] society. Similarly, there is also
[00:18:25] a danger of losing hope for the future and just noise, because in this
[00:18:28] social media era we live in,
[00:18:32] well, unfortunately, it tends to be the case that positive messages don't
[00:18:36] get amplified, and every slightly negative or critical
[00:18:39] note is picked up and blown out of proportion.
[00:18:43] And by the way, according to the constitution, the President
[00:18:46] of the Republic is the supreme commander of national defense, and the National Defense
[00:18:49] Council, which was also mentioned earlier, provides an opportunity to bring
[00:18:53] together the president, the Riigikogu, the government, and representatives
[00:18:56] of the defense forces to discuss national defense issues,
[00:19:00] and thus helps to form a comprehensive view
[00:19:03] of the state's security. And a significant common thread
[00:19:07] in both speeches today was the emphasis
[00:19:11] that there is too much war fear in society. Ülle
[00:19:14] Madison has also promised to reduce
[00:19:17] it and explain everything rationally. The idea
[00:19:21] was that you have to train so much that you never need it. But Kristjan
[00:19:24] Pihl, please, continue.
[00:19:28] Yes, in front of me in the Riigikogu corridor
[00:19:31] Peeter Tali from Eesti 200 and Raimond Kaljulaid from the Social Democratic Party.
[00:19:34] Well, it has been said quite a lot that there have been hints
[00:19:38] from Ülle Madise's team that the National Defense Council
[00:19:42] will probably meet more frequently. What is Ülle
[00:19:46] Madise's plan? Ülle Madise's plan is to get the National Defense Council
[00:19:49] to work properly, not
[00:19:53] exactly like in the Republic of Finland, but still to work
[00:19:56] properly, and she has also appointed a very
[00:19:59] experienced official,
[00:20:02] Taimar Peterkop, to organize the affairs
[00:20:05] of the National Defense Council. Up until now, national defense
[00:20:09] has been such, well, let's say, the National Defense Council has been
[00:20:12] a ceremonial courtly matter, as President Meri said,
[00:20:15] "I want to, I take advice; I don't want to, I don't." And now
[00:20:19] the aim is for this council to deal with, in a good
[00:20:23] sense, comprehensive
[00:20:25] national defense, so that it brings together in addition to
[00:20:29] the executive power or
[00:20:32] the legislative power and discusses important
[00:20:35] issues with the aim of
[00:20:39] developing broad-based, not just military, national defense
[00:20:42] and to see how and whether it is
[00:20:46] necessary to improve laws and, in a good
[00:20:50] sense, break down silos and build
[00:20:52] them into a proper fortress. Raimond Kaljulaid, is
[00:20:56] there no danger here that the president will take too
[00:20:59] much power into their own hands and start duplicating
[00:21:02] the government? No, there is no such danger, because actually the constitution does not give
[00:21:06] the president any such possibilities, but the president also hinted in her speech today that
[00:21:10] her assessment and vision of the security situation is somewhat
[00:21:14] more positive than what people might gather from headlines, and she also hinted that
[00:21:18] behind those headlines there can often be such a political desire, political
[00:21:21] gain, or also certain business interests,
[00:21:25] probably referring to the defense industry, to make the threat seem greater than
[00:21:28] it actually is. So, perhaps one idea is also to generate trust in state
[00:21:32] institutions through such a weighty advisory body operating
[00:21:36] under the president, which could actually also provide a more adequate or less emotional
[00:21:40] picture of the situation, meaning that the goal is not
[00:21:43] to somehow put more of these
[00:21:47] war topics, security topics, on the table, but rather to simply explain and
[00:21:50] give the public the signal that everything is, everything is in our hands,
[00:21:54] rather to bring together
[00:21:58] in addition to the legislative power, I correct myself,
[00:22:01] in addition to the executive power, because the government's
[00:22:04] security cabinet works very well, there is no need
[00:22:08] to duplicate it, but as the president also indeed emphasized
[00:22:11] in her speech today, to reduce war fear,
[00:22:15] to cooperate more, to be friendlier, and also to develop
[00:22:18] the defense industry, which is very important, that we
[00:22:22] put the money taken from taxpayers at a high
[00:22:26] political cost back into developing our
[00:22:29] economy. But Alar Karis has still highlighted
[00:22:32] that perhaps the boundaries of the president's
[00:22:36] office should be sharpened a little, and why shouldn't
[00:22:39] President Ülle Madise be the one who represents
[00:22:43] Estonia at NATO summits, and the Prime Minister's
[00:22:46] task would then be the Supreme Council. What do you think of this idea?
[00:22:50] "Personally, I have actually liked this idea,
[00:22:53] because if we look, the Estonian Prime Minister today has so many domestic
[00:22:57] , economic, all other issues concerning the internal life of the state, all
[00:23:00] European Union topics and all NATO topics, that it's simply too much for one person,
[00:23:04] one office holder, but
[00:23:07] perhaps the president's contribution
[00:23:10] can also be in that she can somehow
[00:23:14] bring together more people in Estonia who deal with security issues, that
[00:23:18] the fact that we have such confusion in this area is somehow probably
[00:23:22] also connected with the fact that everyone operates more in their own silo, whether it's
[00:23:25] on the executive branch side or here on the Riigikogu side, such a
[00:23:29] unifier or creating a common platform has been
[00:23:33] difficult, and of course, what I very much hope for is that
[00:23:36] the poor or non-existent cooperation
[00:23:40] between the previous president and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also be improved.
[00:23:43] President Karis has also referred to this upon leaving office and
[00:23:47] given clear examples of how he was asked, for example, to convey
[00:23:50] deadlines for the Rail Baltic section to his interlocutors,
[00:23:53] presidents of other countries, which Karis directly called
[00:23:57] lying. So, surely a change would also be that the cooperation
[00:24:00] between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the president
[00:24:04] would function flawlessly in the future. Yes, well, the president's main weapon
[00:24:07] and means of influence is still the power of words. What is the
[00:24:10] vision in one sentence that Ülle Madise offered us
[00:24:14] today? Getting along well with each other,
[00:24:17] but I would still correct it, it's not the power of words. It's also about
[00:24:21] actually doing the work
[00:24:23] that may not be visible, and you bring different
[00:24:26] parties together and talk, that's what we
[00:24:30] politicians are good at, talking,
[00:24:32] and we need to talk more with each other
[00:24:35] to form and formulate
[00:24:39] everyday positions that allow Estonia to be forever free.
[00:24:42] to be. Well, if we sum it up, Ülle Madise's speech today was
[00:24:46] a bit like she had been elected president of Lotte Village, as if everyone were inventors. Grow up
[00:24:50] as enterprising, smart, and good
[00:24:53] people. But I think that this message is perhaps what Estonia needs right now,
[00:24:56] because another big problem we have is that we are somehow very
[00:25:00] stuck in criticism and problems constantly, and we look less at opportunities and more at
[00:25:04] what our strengths are. So I think that bringing such a positive
[00:25:07] attitude into Estonian political discourse, that this could
[00:25:11] actually be very positive. It seems to me that Ülle Madise started powerfully today
[00:25:15] and I am very happy that she has chosen such a path. Yes, thank you
[00:25:19] very much. "Well, our politicians are
[00:25:22] capable,
[00:25:24] but presidents are even more capable and presidents come
[00:25:28] to the white hall of the Riigikogu, the solemn
[00:25:32] ceremony begins, a picture
[00:25:35] is taken and also the book
[00:25:39] entry is made. By the way, the text
[00:25:42] is already written in the book, that today,
[00:25:45] on October 12, 2026,
[00:25:49] President Alar Karis handed over his office to the elected
[00:25:52] President Ülle Madise and then it's time for photos
[00:25:56] and afterwards they return briefly
[00:26:00] to the rooms of the Speaker of the Riigikogu, where. In the Chancellery
[00:26:02] her
[00:26:06] and she has promised to keep
[00:26:10] work and family life in reasonable balance and
[00:26:13] also engage in hobbies and sports. The new Chancellor
[00:26:16] Director Paavo Nõgene also expressed hope in an interview with Viker Raadio.
[00:26:19] lootust.
[00:26:27] And the new President's spouse, Lauri Madise, has promised
[00:26:31] to continue working in court,
[00:26:34] so
[00:26:37] such choices are possible in a modern state
[00:26:41] and society accepts them. But now another solemn
[00:26:44] moment,
[00:26:47] President Ülle Madise makes
[00:26:49] an entry.
[00:26:57] President Alar Karis makes
[00:26:59] an entry.
[00:27:02] that we talked about the roles of the president here, actually Sirje Karis also admitted
[00:27:06] that getting into this role will still be very difficult, that
[00:27:10] the amount of duties that fall upon you, no matter how far you are from
[00:27:13] the president himself, it is still very large. It is clear that the president
[00:27:17] is not the master of his calendar, the president
[00:27:20] depends in his office on many
[00:27:23] advisors and on what the
[00:27:26] agreed program is, but now Sirja
[00:27:30] Karis... signs
[00:27:34] the guest
[00:27:34] book,
[00:27:42] the namesake
[00:27:43] of the Speaker of the Riigikogu,
[00:27:52] and the spouses of the Presidents of the Republic of Estonia
[00:27:54] have filled it very differently,
[00:27:58] how they have managed their lives alongside
[00:28:02] the President and also filled Kirsti
[00:28:06] Kaljulaid's husband Georgi Renee
[00:28:09] Maksimowski continued his everyday life,
[00:28:12] while in the case of Siire Karis, relatively
[00:28:15] early on Siire Karis
[00:28:18] then ended her activities
[00:28:22] at the Tartu City Museum and the information says that a quick comment from the Prime Minister,
[00:28:25] please, yes, I'm coming there, yes,
[00:28:29] before me is the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia.
[00:28:33] Well, the President has been elected, what kind of emotions? Well, of course
[00:28:36] positive ones, the elections have been some time ago, yes
[00:28:40] some time ago, but certainly a very solemn moment, that we thanked
[00:28:44] Alar Karis and congratulated Ülle Madise,
[00:28:47] that it is still a big role that must now
[00:28:50] be fulfilled for years, to unite the people, not everyone
[00:28:54] will be happy with you anyway, but I hope most are. What kind of mark will Alar
[00:28:57] Karis leave behind? I think a positive one,
[00:29:00] because well, for all... decision-makers and actors,
[00:29:04] all sorts of things can be said, but he was still, I think, warm
[00:29:07] towards people and brought people together,
[00:29:11] that you cannot expect everything from one person and perhaps the expectations for
[00:29:14] presidents are always hugely great, greater than life, so
[00:29:18] I personally will have a warm memory and I think he did his best to
[00:29:22] unite people. In any case, the Prime Minister must
[00:29:25] get along well with the President to build and develop the Estonian state together.
[00:29:29] What is the main task that the new... President
[00:29:33] will face for the next five years, at least five years? Well,
[00:29:35] I think that in the case of Ülle Madise,
[00:29:39] it is definitely expected that she would be
[00:29:41] a fair arbiter
[00:29:45] and an evaluator of Estonian life, as she was as Chancellor of Justice,
[00:29:48] and this gained her the favor of the Estonian people, that
[00:29:52] as it is already said, she should remain herself, treat
[00:29:55] everyone equally and honestly, both coalition and opposition politicians,
[00:29:58] and if she sees that something is being done somewhere that actually has no basis
[00:30:03] or has no substantive meaning, then also say it honestly,
[00:30:06] certainly also draw attention to it, and probably in the modern
[00:30:10] world, well, Estonia has carried the image of a so-called pioneer
[00:30:13] in the digital field, so she will certainly have to
[00:30:17] take the lead with AI projects and artificial intelligence projects
[00:30:20] and in many other things, so there are huge expectations,
[00:30:24] but every president fulfills this role themselves. Well, the election
[00:30:27] of the president started relatively roughly, but in the end
[00:30:31] Ülle was still elected. Herself with 71 votes
[00:30:34] in the first round of the Riigikogu, does that mean that now
[00:30:37] the discussions about the presidential election process, even about
[00:30:41] direct elections, well, those are now off
[00:30:43] the table? Well, I don't know, it's just that from time to time
[00:30:47] politicians appear who think that the main question in presidential elections
[00:30:50] is the process, not the outcome, that as Prime Minister,
[00:30:54] I can say that I have also spoken with predecessors who have said that this is certainly a very
[00:30:57] rough road, but yet we reached historical...