The election of Karis, current director of the Estonian National Museum and independent candidate, was carried out with the attendance of 80 legislators, parliamentary sources stated.
To become a president, Karis needed a minimum of 68 votes, but during the first electoral round held on Monday, he only got support of 63 legislators, despite he was the only candidate in the ballot.
The new head of State of Estonia, a country with barely two million inhabitants, replaces Kersti Kaljulaid, who was the president since 2016.
At the time, Kaljulaid lacked the necessary party support in the Riigikogu for another term.
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