VII · Seventh President of the Republic

Ülle Madise

Constitutional lawyer and Chancellor of Justice from 2015 to 2026. The second woman to hold the office.

In office
Since 12 October 2026 · Incumbent
Born
11 December 1974
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Biography

Ülle Madise is a constitutional lawyer who spent most of her career guarding the rule of law: at the Ministry of Justice, as legal adviser to President Ilves, and for eleven years as Chancellor of Justice. She was elected in the first round in September 2026 and took office on 12 October 2026.

At a glance

Born
11 December 1974, Tartu, as Ülle Anton
Father
Tõnu Anton
Spouse
Lauri Madise
Profession
Lawyer, professor of constitutional law

Education

  • Tartu Descartes School, 1993
  • University of Tartu, law, cum laude, 1998
  • University of Tartu, master's degree in law, 2001
  • Tallinn University of Technology, PhD in public administration, 2007

Career

  • 1997–2002Ministry of Justice
  • 2002–2005Adviser to the Constitutional Committee of the Riigikogu
  • 2006–2010Member of the National Electoral Committee
  • 2009–2015Legal adviser to President Toomas Hendrik Ilves
  • 2009–2015Professor at Tallinn University of Technology and then at the University of Tartu
  • 2015–2026Chancellor of Justice, reappointed in December 2021

Presidency

  • Elected by the Riigikogu in the first round on 2 September 2026, with 71 of 101 votes.
  • Took the oath of office on 12 October 2026, the seventh President of the Republic and the second woman to hold the office.

In their words

Everyone here in Estonia must feel that they are an asset, as are their life, work, and creation.
Inauguration speech, 12 October 2026. Riigikogu

During the term

  1. State

    Elected in the first round

    The Riigikogu elects Ülle Madise with 71 of 101 votes.

  2. State

    Takes office

    The seventh President of the Republic and the second woman to hold the office.

On the timeline

Instagram

President Madise on Instagram

Photographs and notes from the work of the President of the Republic, published by the Office of the President.

@president_ylle.madise

Follow on Instagram

@president_ylle.madise

Sources

This profile is compiled from the English and Estonian Wikipedia articles and the Office of the President, as of October 2026.