Riigikogu

 ( Official Website ) 

The Riigikogu (, from Estonian riigi-, "of the state", and kogu, "assembly") is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament 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. Among its other tasks, the Riigikogu also ratifies significant foreign treaties that impose military and proprietary obligations and bring about changes in law, as well as approves the budget presented by the government as law, and monitors the executive power.

---

History

---

History 23 April 1919, the opening session of the Estonian Constituent Assembly is considered the founding date of the Parliament of Estonia. Established under the 1920 constitution, the Riigikogu had 100 members elected for a three-year term on the basis of proportional representation. Elections were fixed for the first Sunday in May of the third year of parliament. The first elections to the Riigikogu took place in 1920. From 1923 to 1932, there were four more elections to the Riigikogu. The elections were on a regional basis, without any threshold in the first two elections, but from 1926 a moderate threshold (2%) was used. The sessions of the Riigikogu take 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.

In 1933 amendments to the first Constitution were approved by referendum, where more power was given to an executive President. The following year, the President used these new powers to adjourn parliament and declared martial law to avert an alleged coup. In 1937, a second constitution was approved by referendum which saw the introduction of a two chambered legislature, the ( Riigivolikogu) and the National Council ( Riiginõukogu). Elections were subsequently held in 1938 where only individual candidates were allowed to run.

During the subsequent periods of Soviet Union occupation (1940–41), Nazi Germany occupation (1941–44), and the second Soviet occupation (1944–1991) the Parliament was disbanded. The premises of the Riigikogu were used by the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR during the second Soviet occupation.

---

Restitution of independence In September 1992, a year after Estonia had regained its independence from the Soviet Union, elections to the Parliament took place on the basis of the third Constitution of Estonia adopted in a referendum in the summer of the same year. The 1992 constitution, which incorporates elements of the 1920 and 1938 Constitutions and explicitly asserts its continuity with the Estonian state as it existed between 1918 and 1940, sees the return of a unicameral parliament with 101 members. The most recent parliamentary elections were held on 5 March 2023. The main differences between the current 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

---

Current seat allocation The seat allocation refers to de facto allocation, as defectors from fractions are not allowed to join other ones between elections.

• Reform Party 38
• party leader: Kaja Kallas
• Social Democratic Party of Estonia 14
• party leader: Lauri Läänemets
• Estonia 200 13
• party leader: Margus Tsahkna
• Conservative People's Party of Estonia 11
• party leader: Martin Helme
• Isamaa 11
• party leader: Urmas Reinsalu
• Centre Party 6
• party leader: Mihhail Kõlvart
• Independents 8

---

Structure of former legislatures

---

Estonian Parliament after 1992 election

29	17	15	12	10	8	8	1	1
						Estonian Citizen	Estonian Greens

---

Estonian Parliament after 1995 election

41	19	16	8	6	6	5

---

Estonian Parliament after 1999 election

28	18	18	17	7	7	6

---

Estonian Parliament after 2003 election

28	28	19	13	7	6

---

Estonian Parliament after 2007 election

31	29	19	10	6	6
				Estonian Greens

---

Estonian Parliament after 2011 election

33	26	23	19

---

Estonian Parliament after 2015 election

30	27	15	14	8	7

---

Estonian Parliament after 2019 election

34	26	19	12	10
			Isamaa

---

Estonian Parliament after 2023 election

37	17	16	14	9	8
					Isamaa

---

Speakers of the Riigikogu The salary of the speaker is €8318.19 per month.

---

1921–1937

Otto Strandman	4 January 1921 – 18 November 1921	I Riigikogu
Juhan Kukk	18 November 1921 – 20 November 1922	I Riigikogu
Konstantin Päts	20 November 1922 – 7 June 1923	I Riigikogu
Jaan Tõnisson	7 June 1923 – 27 May 1925	II Riigikogu
August Rei	9 June 1925 – 22 June 1926	II Riigikogu
Kaarel Eenpalu	22 June 1926 – 19 July 1932	III Riigikogu, IV Riigikogu, V Riigikogu
Jaan Tõnisson	19 July 1932 – 18 May 1933	V Riigikogu
Kaarel Eenpalu	18 May 1933 – 29 August 1934	V Riigikogu
Rudolf Penno	28 September 1934 – 31 December 1937	V Riigikogu

---

Speakers of the Riigivolikogu (lower chamber)

Jüri Uluots	21 April 1938 – 12 October 1939	VI Riigikogu
Otto Pukk	17 October 1939 – 5 July 1940	VI Riigikogu
Arnold Veimer	21 July 1940 – 25 August 1940

---

Speaker of the Riiginõukogu (upper chamber)

Mihkel Pung	21 April 1938 – 5 July 1940	VI Riigikogu

---

Chairman of the Supreme Council (1990–1992)

Arnold Rüütel	29 March 1990 – 5 October 1992

---

Speaker of the Supreme Council (1990–1992)

Ülo Nugis	29 March 1990 – 5 October 1992

---

Since 1992

Ülo Nugis	21 October 1992 – 21 March 1995	VII Riigikogu
Toomas Savi	21 March 1995 – 31 March 2003	VIII Riigikogu, IX Riigikogu
Ene Ergma	31 March 2003 – 23 March 2006	X Riigikogu
Toomas Varek	23 March 2006 – 2 April 2007	X Riigikogu
Ene Ergma	2 April 2007 – 20 March 2014	XI Riigikogu, XII Riigikogu
Eiki Nestor	20 March 2014 – 4 April 2019	XII Riigikogu, XIII Riigikogu
Henn Põlluaas	4 April 2019 – 18 March 2021	XIV Riigikogu
Jüri Ratas	18 March 2021 – 10 April 2023	XIV Riigikogu
Lauri Hussar	10 April 2023 – present	XV Riigikogu

---

Chancellery Established on October 5 of 1992, the Chancellery of the Riigikogu () is the administration supporting the Riigikogu in the performance of its constitutional functions. The departments of the Chancellery perform the daily functions.

---

See also

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

---

Citations and references

---

Cited sources

• Toivo Miljan (2025). 9780810849044, Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810849044

---

External links

• Riigkogu's election law

Post Comment