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President Toomas Hendrik Ilves in the Riigikogu, 29 August 2011
29.08.2011
Dear Estonian people, members of the Riigikogu, ladies and gentlemen, my friends,
I would like to thank the Riigikogu for the trust they have placed in me – there is only one way to earn it.
That is to serve Estonia and all the people who live here in the manner prescribed by the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia.
The decision made today is historical. Not because of who got elected, or those who ran for the position.
The decision is historical because this was the first time you elected the President of the Republic of Estonia in the manner which the creators of our Constitution envisioned and inscribed almost 20 years ago and which has the clear support of the Estonian people. This is the first time you have exercised the constitutional right to elect the president in the Riigikogu and thereby shown yourselves as maximalists of parliamentarism and the Constitution.
You have demonstrated that the Riigikogu is efficient and that the Constitution must be observed in the best possible manner.
I believe that our country will benefit from this. It shows that Estonia has matured, grown up. And, as a citizen of the Republic of Estonia, I would like to thank the Riigikogu for this.
This maturity creates certain obligations for the parliament and the president. I can promise you that I am ready for this.
I am ready to serve Estonia and all the people who live here regardless of their views of the world and the language they speak. I will do it in the best of faith. Thank you.
