Kersti who?

Estonia is a country where a man who has been punished 22 times for breaking the law can become, not just any minister, but the minister of justice. I thought the country can't fall any lower than that. How wrong I was! A few days ago, the Estonian politicians played the worst joke on the people ever by "electing" to the president of the contry someone named Kersti Kaljulaid.

When it was announced that she will run for president, I can imagine how people all over the country looked at each other in bewilderment, asking "Who is Kersti Kaljulaid". I am sure that as recently as a month ago, that name was unknown to the majority of Estonians.

I mean, if you live in Estonia and have at least some interest in politics, you can't help knowing who Siim Kallas is. You can't help knowing who Allar Jõks is. You can't help knowing who Marina Kaljurand is. You can't help knowing who Mailis Reps is. You can't help knowing who Eiki Nestor is. You can't help knowing who Mart Helme is. Those names have been all over the newspapers, TV and Internet for years. But who is Kersti Kaljulaid? I've been asking people that question. A few days ago I was told she used to be the manager of a power station. Other than that, I haven't the slightest idea who or what Kersti Kaljulaid is, let alone what merits she has and for whatever reason anyone should as much as consider her as a possible president. I'm still half expecting to wake up and realise it has just been a crazy dream. Of course I could read the Wikipedia article on her, but you're not supposed to need Wikipedia to find out who the hell is that person they're telling you is your new president.

Yes, I understand that we are obviously lacking a widely respected national leader. And yes, I know I ought to be grateful that they didn't "elect" that Russian whom the media persistently pushed as the most likely president-to-be. And yes, I understand that it doesn't really matter who the President is because apart from holding a ceremonial speech every now and then she has virtually no functions anyway. And yes, it is clear to me that the so-called President of the Republic isn't really the Estonian people's president because she isn't actually elected by anybody but negotiated by party elites each one of whom controls a bigger or smaller number of electors. Still, even the politicians ought to have some minimal amount of decency. The President of the Republic has a very important symbolical meaning for the nation. To nominate to that post an individual who not only lacks any popular support whatsoever but whom almost no one even knows anything about, is a mind-blowing insult on the Estonian people.