Lawyer who served as ombudsman becomes President of Estonia

The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has elected Chancellor of Justice and lawyer Ülle Madise as the country's new president. The 51-year-old Madise is the second woman to hold this position. This was reported by Reuters.

Madise received the votes of 71 deputies in the first round of the election held on September 2. At least 68 votes were required to be elected president. A total of 78 deputies participated in the voting.

Madise was the sole candidate in this election. Her candidacy was proposed by 75 members of parliament, while other candidates failed to gather enough support to register.

Madise has been serving as Estonia's Chancellor of Justice since 2015. This position involves overseeing the rule of law in the country while also encompassing ombudsman functions.

The new president has been elected for a five-year term and will officially take office after taking the oath on October 12. She will succeed Alar Karis, who served one term and did not run for re-election.

Ülle Madise will be the seventh president in Estonian history and the second woman to hold the office of the country's president.