Estonian Parliament Riigikogu
XIV Riigikogu
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	23 April 1919
Disbanded	suspended from 1940-1991
Leadership
President of the Riigikogu	Henn Põlluaas, EKRE since 4 April 2019
First Vice-President of the Riigikogu	Helir-Valdor Seeder, Pro Patria since 4 April 2019
Second Vice-President of the Riigikogu	Siim Kallas, Reform since 4 April 2019
Structure
Seats	101 (list)
Political groups	Government (56)      Centre (25)      EKRE (19)      Isamaa (12) Opposition (45)      Reform (34)      SDE (10)      Independent (1)
Elections
Voting system	Party-list proportional representation Modified D'Hondt method
Last election	3 March 2019
Next election	5 March 2023
Meeting place
Toompea Castle, Tallinn
Website
www.riigikogu.ee

Estonia
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Estonia
State Constitution Declaration of Independence Human rights
Presidency President Kersti Kaljulaid
Executive Prime Minister Jüri Ratas Government of Estonia Incumbent cabinet
Legislature Riigikogu Speaker: Henn Põlluaas
Judiciary Supreme Court Chancellor of Justice
Elections Political parties Recent elections Riigikogu: 2015 2019 next Presidential: 2006 2011 2016 European: 2009 2014 2019
Administrative divisions Counties Municipalities
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Other countries Atlas

The Riigikogu (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈriːɡikoɡu]; from riigi-, of the state, and kogu, assembly) is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu. In addition to approving legislation, the Riigikogu appoints high officials, including the Prime Minister and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and elects (either alone or, if necessary, together with representatives of local government within a broader electoral college) the President. The Riigikogu also ratifies significant foreign treaties that impose military and proprietary obligations, bring about changes in law, etc.; approves the budget presented by the government as law and monitors the executive power.

History[edit]

Early elections[edit]

April 23, 1919, the opening session of the Estonian Constituent Assembly is the birthday of the Estonian Parliament.^[1] The first elections to the Riigikogu took place in 1920. From 1920 to 1938, there were five more elections to the Riigikogu, but several were on the basis of different constitutions. In 1920–1923 there was a closed list, while from 1926 to 1934 there was an optional open list choice. The basis of election was until 1932 proportional representation. The elections were on a regional basis, without any threshold in the first two elections, but from 1926 a moderate threshold (2%) was used.

Division[edit]

From 1938–1940 the National Assembly was divided into two chambers: The Chamber of Deputies (Riigivolikogu) and the National Council (Riiginõukogu).

It was replaced by the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (August 25, 1940–1990) and the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia (May 8, 1990 – October 5, 1992).

Toompea castle[edit]

Since 1922, the sessions of the Riigikogu have taken place in the Toompea castle, where a new building in an unusual Expressionist style was erected in the former courtyard of the medieval castle in 1920–1922. During the subsequent periods of Soviet occupation (1940–41), German occupation (1941–44) and the second Soviet occupation (1944–1991) the Riigikogu was disbanded. The castle and the building of the Riigikogu were used by the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR during the second Soviet occupation.

Independence from the Soviet Union[edit]

In September 1992, a year after Estonia had regained its independence from the Soviet Union, elections to the Riigikogu took place according to the Constitution of Estonia adopted in the summer of the same year. According to the 1992 constitution, the Riigikogu has 101 members. The present Riigikogu was elected on March 3, 2019. The main differences between this system and a pure political representation, or proportional representation, system are the established 5% national threshold, and the use of a modified D'Hondt formula (the divisor is raised to the power 0.9). This modification makes for more disproportionality than does the usual form of the formula.

Latest election[edit]

Party		Votes	%	Seats	±
	Estonian Reform Party	162,364	28.9	34	+4
	Estonian Centre Party	129,617	23.1	26	−1
	Conservative People's Party	99,672	17.8	19	+12
	Isamaa	64,219	11.4	12	−2
	Social Democratic Party	55,168	9.8	10	−5
	Estonia 200	24,447	4.4	0	New
	Estonian Greens	10,226	1.8	0	0
	Richness of Life	6,858	1.2	0	New
	Estonian Free Party	6,460	1.2	0	−8
	Estonian United Left	510	0.1	0	0
	Independent candidates	1,590	0.3	0	0
Invalid/blank votes		3,897	–	–	–
Total		565,028	100	101	0
Registered voters/turnout		887,419	63.7	–	–
Source: Valimised

Current seat allocation[edit]

Riigikogu

Parliament building in Toompea Castle: the seat of the Parliament.

• Reform Party 34
  • party leader: Kaja Kallas
• Centre Party 25
  • party leader: Jüri Ratas
• Conservative People's Party of Estonia 19
  • party leader: Mart Helme
• Pro Patria 12
  • party leader: Helir-Valdor Seeder
• Social Democratic Party of Estonia 10
  • party leader: Jevgeni Ossinovski
• Independent 1
  • independent MP: Raimond Kaljulaid^[2]

Speakers of the Riigikogu[edit]

The salary of the speaker is €5,288 per month.^[3]

1921-1937[edit]

Speakers of the Riigivolikogu (lower chamber)[edit]

Speaker of the Riiginõukogu (upper chamber)[edit]

Chairman of the Supreme Council (1990–1992)[edit]

Speaker of the Supreme Council (1990–1992)[edit]

Since 1992[edit]

External links[edit]

• (in Estonian) Riigikogu's website
• (in English) Riigikogu's website
• (in English) Riigkogu's election law

See also[edit]

• List of members of the Parliament of Estonia
• Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

References[edit]