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 (Riiginõukogu). Elections were subsequently held in 1938 where only individual candidates were allowed to run.

During the subsequent periods of Soviet occupation (1940–41), German 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. Under the 1992 constitution (§59), the Riigikogu holds the legislative power in parliament.

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.

Election process All Estonian citizens who are over the age of 18 have the active legal capacity and active legal right to vote. The passive right to vote, or the ability for a person to be elected into the Riigikogu, is held by all Estonian citizens over the age of 21 who have the active right to vote. Each Riigikogu is elected for a term of 4 years. If no party gains the majority, or 51 seats, parliamentary groups will unite in a coalition to form government. The remaining groups would then present as the opposition. The Riigikogu has 101 members, which is approximately the cube root of the total population in Estonia who have the right to vote.

Each of the 101 members of the Riigikogu are decided by an election which takes place on the first Sunday of March every 4 years. The voting process is conducted via a secret ballot, and the people of Estonia can vote in 14 different ways including electronic voting. The specific 14 number of voting types comes from the mathematical combinations that are possible as dictated by the Riigikogu election act.

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: Kristen Michal Social Democratic Party of Estonia 14 party leader: Lauri Läänemets Estonia 200 12 party leader: Kristina Kallas Isamaa 11 party leader: Urmas Reinsalu Conservative People's Party of Estonia 9 party leader: Martin Helme Centre Party 8 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 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 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

Estonian Parliament after 2023 election 37 17 16 14 9 8

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

1921–1937 Name Period LegislatureOtto Strandman4 January 1921 – 18 November 1921I RiigikoguJuhan Kukk18 November 1921 – 20 November 1922I RiigikoguKonstantin Päts20 November 1922 – 7 June 1923I RiigikoguJaan Tõnisson7 June 1923 – 27 May 1925II RiigikoguAugust Rei9 June 1925 – 22 June 1926II RiigikoguKarl Einbund22 June 1926 – 19 July 1932III Riigikogu, IV Riigikogu, V RiigikoguJaan Tõnisson19 July 1932 – 18 May 1933V RiigikoguKarl Einbund18 May 1933 – 29 August 1934V RiigikoguRudolf Penno28 September 1934 – 31 December 1937V Riigikogu

Speakers of the Riigivolikogu (lower chamber) Name Period LegislatureJüri Uluots21 April 1938 – 12 October 1939VI RiigikoguOtto Pukk17 October 1939 – 5 July 1940VI RiigikoguArnold Veimer21 July 1940 – 25 August 1940

Speaker of the Riiginõukogu (upper chamber) Name Period LegislatureMihkel Pung21 April 1938 – 5 July 1940VI Riigikogu

Chairman of the Supreme Council (1990–1992) Name PeriodArnold Rüütel29 March 1990 – 5 October 1992

Speaker of the Supreme Council (1990–1992) Name PeriodÜlo Nugis29 March 1990 – 5 October 1992

Since 1992 Name Period LegislatureÜlo Nugis21 October 1992 – 21 March 1995VII RiigikoguToomas Savi21 March 1995 – 31 March 2003VIII Riigikogu, IX RiigikoguEne Ergma31 March 2003 – 23 March 2006X RiigikoguToomas Varek23 March 2006 – 2 April 2007X RiigikoguEne Ergma2 April 2007 – 20 March 2014XI Riigikogu, XII RiigikoguEiki Nestor20 March 2014 – 4 April 2019XII Riigikogu, XIII RiigikoguHenn Põlluaas4 April 2019 – 18 March 2021XIV RiigikoguJüri Ratas18 March 2021 – 10 April 2023XIV RiigikoguLauri Hussar10 April 2023 – presentXV 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.

According to the Routledge Handbook for Parliamentary Administration, the main functions of the chancellery are:

Advising members of the Riigikogu on legislative matters including researching and proposing new systems and practices of parliamentary democracy. Provides administrative services to the Riigikogu Assists the Riigikogu in communicating with the public, including other Estonian government bodies and similar bodies in other nations.   Prepares and implements budgets for the Riigikogu, administers its state assets as set out in the State Assets Act, represents the Riigikogu during legal proceedings and in interactions with other institutions of the government. Provides services for the National Electoral Committee as well as the Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee

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

Citations and references

Notes

Cited sources

External links

Riigkogu's election law