Estonian MPs failed on Monday to elect a president to succeed Toomas Hendrik Ilves, meaning a second and possibly a third round of voting on Tuesday.
Eiki Nestor, the Social Democratic candidate and current speaker of Estonia’s parliament, came first with 40 votes, followed by Mailis Reps, the Center Party’s choice, with 26 votes. Allar Jõks, backed by two smaller parties, came third with an unexpected 25 votes.
To win, a candidate must receive a two-thirds vote, or 68 out of 101 MPs.
If there is no conclusive vote on Tuesday, the election shifts to a 355-member electoral college made up of MPs and local government representatives who vote on September 24.
If that happens, Reps and Jõks could benefit as they have already been campaigning across the country to garner the support of college members.
The Reform Party, the largest member of the ruling coalition, will struggle to unite around a single candidate if the vote moves to the college. The party backed Nestor in the first round, in return for Social Democratic support on Tuesday.
A recent opinion poll of potential presidential candidates found two Reform Party politicians vying for top place. Marina Kaljurand, the foreign minister, was the most popular, with 22 percent support, followed by Siim Kallas, a former prime minister and European commissioner, with 17 percent.
Although the Estonian presidency is largely ceremonial, Ilves effectively used the position to build his country’s reputation abroad at a time of growing worries about Russia’s intentions toward the Baltic region.
This article has been updated to clarify the opinion poll results.