Rüütel was the second president of the country after the end of the 1944–1991 Soviet occupation, and the restoration of the independent Republic of Estonia on 20 August 1991.

[citation needed] He worked as a senior agronomist in Saaremaa (1949−1950) and then as a teacher at the Tartu School of Agricultural Mechanization (1955−1957).

He served as Chairman of the People's Union of Estonia from 1994 to 2000, and was elected as a member of parliament (Riigikogu), in 1995, where he acted as vice-chairman until 1997.

[citation needed] Rüütel was elected president by an electoral college on 21 September 2001, defeating Toomas Savi in the final round by votes of 186 to 155.

Rüütel announced in his election manifesto that his principal aims would be to reduce the negative effects that Estonia's speedy economic changes had had on a large number of people, and to seek greater solidarity within the society.

[8] In January 2006, Estonian Television reported that Rüütel's underage granddaughters had organized a party in the presidential palace and drunk alcohol.

[citation needed] Later that year, the newspaper Eesti Ekspress published archived documents suggesting that Rüütel as a top functionary of the Estonian SSR was involved in the persecution of scientist Johannes Hint (later sentenced to jail in a show trial) by the KGB.

The election of Ene Ergma and Toomas Hendrik Ilves by the parliament was blocked by Rüütel's supporters, who did not take out ballots.

Rüütel voiced support for Mart Helme of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia in the 2016 Estonian presidential election.