Estonia’s future president Madise plans regular Defence Council meetings — ERR News

Estonia’s future president, Ülle Madise, intends to introduce regular meetings of the National Defence Council. After taking office on October 12, she will also appoint former State Secretary Taimar Peterkop as an adviser to the council.

As ERR News reports, until now, meetings of the National Defence Council have been convened on an ad hoc basis, at the president’s invitation. Peterkop, who will become Madise’s adviser, said that the new president seeks to make the body’s work systematic.

The council’s role in Estonia’s defence

Under Estonia’s Constitution, the president is the supreme leader of national defence, while the National Defence Council has advisory status under the head of state. Its meetings make it possible to bring together representatives of the president, parliament, government and defence forces to discuss security issues and develop a comprehensive vision of the country’s security.

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Madise said that the current circumstances require greater attention from those responsible for security so that confidence prevails in society. According to her, national defence encompasses not only military protection but also the development of comprehensive defence. In her view, involving an adviser will help organize the council’s work more substantively.

Taimar Peterkop’s experience

Peterkop served as Estonia’s State Secretary from 2018 to 2025 and, before that, headed the Information System Authority from 2015 to 2018. Earlier, he worked as deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence and as a defence policy adviser at Estonia’s embassy in Washington.

Peterkop is currently a senior cybersecurity expert at the e-Governance Academy. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu and earned a master’s degree in strategic leadership from the U.S. Army War College.