Tsahkna said Indrek Saar was a strong candidate and it was proven by the fact that in the second round of the election, 85 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (ENPA) voted for him. “Unfortunately, these votes were not enough to be elected,” Tsahkna said.
He added that in these kinds of elections, it must always be kept in mind that the competency and suitability of the candidate are only one part of the equation. “In addition to that, broader political agreements between greater political groups always play a role, because the secretary general is elected by the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, that is, members of parliament from all member states,” the foreign minister noted. Tsahkna said it was positive that Estonia raised its profile in the course of the campaign.
The foreign minister said it was in Estonia’s interests that Estonians are represented in international organisations, and this is why Indrek Saar’s campaign will be followed by a thorough analysis and the lessons learned will be taken into account in future candidacies.
Indrek Saar said that the competition for the secretary general of the Council of Europe was tough and all candidates were strong. “I highly value the experience I gained in the course of the campaign and I believe the Council of Europe will maintain its influence in these pivotal times for European security,” Saar said.
