"Sometimes laws are drafted in great haste and certain things are simply overlooked. Sometimes the political desire to achieve something is so strong that the Constitution is forgotten. And that's what has led to all the decisions I've had to make," Outgoing President Alar Karis said, commenting on his decisions to initially refuse to promulgate 11 separate pieces of legislation.
"But I don't consider it something to boast about, saying, look how many laws I've rejected. Rather, it's a cause for concern. And I've always emphasized that parliament, the Riigikogu, could do its job better and examine things more thoroughly," Karis said in an interview to ERR.
Indrek Kiisler, deputy editor-in-chief of Postimees, said Karis did not come from a political background and therefore is not the kind of political operator that politicians tend to be.
"His primary aim was to guide the Riigikogu by sending a signal. He was doing exactly what the president is actually supposed to do," Kiisler added.
According to Kiisler, Karis tried to provide a counterbalance to the Riigikogu and the turmoil within it.
"That also applied to the legislation it passed, such as the motor vehicle tax," he noted.
Motor vehicle tax veto
President Karis initially refused to promulgate the motor vehicle tax law in 2024, arguing that it violated the principle of equal treatment. The Riigikogu amended the law and the president promulgated it six weeks later.
Erik Moora, head of Delfi's opinion section, said a debate emerged suggesting that every tax should have only one purpose.
"On the contrary, very few taxes have just one purpose and it is clear that the purpose of every tax is to raise revenue for the state budget," he said.
Critics began suggesting that there was something wrong with the motor vehicle tax having multiple objectives.
"It is clear that many taxes are intended to influence certain consumer behaviors and achieve other objectives, as was also explained in the case of this tax," Moora said. "Jumping on that bandwagon seemed a little populist to me."
The most politically contentious decision was Karis' veto of amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, mainly concerning the status of the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church. The president referred the law to the Supreme Court, seeking to have it declared unconstitutional because it would not bring about any substantive change.
Karis said the law and the churches' statutes could be amended, but the ties would remain.
"That's why I repeatedly asked for the law to be reconsidered. And as you saw, when it reached the Supreme Court, quite a few judges there also expressed dissenting opinions," he said.
Karis said the case has now reached the European Court of Human Rights.
"I said, think through what the next steps will be and how this law is going to be implemented," he explained.
Tõnis Leht, an editor of the "Poliitikaguru" podcast, said Karis had not managed to change the approach toward the Russian Orthodox Church.
"Nevertheless, his criticism was fundamentally valid and substantive and the Supreme Court's ruling did take significant account of the arguments put forward by the president and his legal adviser," he said.
Russia's full-scale war
The defining event of Karis' presidency was Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Karis met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just two days before Russia launched its full-scale invasion. He subsequently visited Ukraine several times and the two presidents also met at Kadriorg. Karis describes his approach to foreign policy as soft diplomacy.
Moora said Karis' presidency coincided with a period when Kaja Kallas, as prime minister, enjoyed an exceptionally high international profile, attracting considerable attention, airtime, quotations and media coverage. In his view, Estonia's message had an extraordinarily strong international presence.
"Karis was inevitably overshadowed by that," Moora said.
"I recently read that President Karis wasn't interested in foreign policy, which is an outright lie.," Karis said.
He noted that foreign policy can be conducted in different ways.
"In a sense, people are barking up the wrong tree here," he said. "Because the main responsibility, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine, lies with the prime minister and the foreign minister."
Karis said they are the ones who take the lead because they attend NATO meetings and European Council summits.
Karis said he has always considered soft diplomacy important and believes its impact is much longer-lasting. He cited the Kazakhstan incident as an example.
"When I ask what actually happened there, I don't get an answer because nothing happened.," Karis said.
Kiisler said that once events had unfolded, Karis struggled to explain them clearly.
"He consistently had difficulty explaining his positions," Kiisler added.
"I can see how much the Kazakhstan scandal still weighs on him. He simply hasn't been able to move past it," Kiisler continued.
He noted that although considerable time has passed, Karis keeps returning to the issue because many people in Estonia still do not understand why he acted as he did.
"I get the impression that over those five years, he never really managed to develop a thick skin," Kiisler said.
Popular with the people
Despite the criticism of his foreign policy, Karis' greatest achievement was maintaining a high level of public support.
Leht said people like Karis because he comes across as smart and articulate, but also open and warm. He added that Karis is not dismissive, does not appear arrogant or condescending and never seems bored when interacting with people.
However, the mild-mannered Karis also showed that he could be quite sharp.
Kiisler said Karis did make pointed remarks, sometimes indirectly and sometimes explicitly, such as when he said Kaja Kallas should resign during the scandal over her husband's business ties to Russia.
Kiisler noted, however, that the kind of sharp rhetoric associated with former presidents Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Kersti Kaljulaid was largely absent during Karis' five years in office.
One of Karis' best-known quotes, however, comes from this year's Independence Day speech.
"We've overheated our beloved sauna and become dizzy from the intense steam."
Moora believes the remark will stick in people's minds. He said Karis often delivered good speeches, although they tended to be even better when read than when heard.
In closing, the president said it is ultimately the happy moments that he will remember most from his years in office.
"The occasions when I've presented state decorations have always been moving, seeing the emotions people experience. It's so wonderful to watch, all that surprise. It's genuine," Karis said.
President Ülle Madise will take over the presidency from Karis in the Riigikogu on Monday.
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