Estonia elects Toomas Hendrik Ilves as President

September 23, 2006

Toomas Hendrik Ilves, currently a member of the European Parliament, was elected today to be the fourth President of Estonia. In the first ballot of the third round of elections, the first one not in Parliament but in an enlarged "Election Council", Ilves, 53, received 174 votes, against his opponent, incumbent Arnold Rüütel's 162. Ilves formerly served twice as Estonian Foreign Minister, and before that as Ambassador to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Ilves will begin his five-year term in October.