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Riigikogu

Unicameral parliament of Estonia

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State Assembly of Estonia Riigikogu
XV Riigikogu
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	23 April 1919; 105 years ago (1919-04-23)
Disbanded	1940–1991
Leadership
Chairman	Lauri Hussar, Estonia 200 since 10 April 2023
First Vice-Chairman	Toomas Kivimägi, Reform since 10 April 2023
Second Vice-Chairman	Arvo Aller, EKRE since 15 April 2024
Structure
Seats	101
Political groups	Government (66)   Reform (39)   SDE (14)   E200 (13) Opposition (35)   EKRE (11)   Isamaa (10)   Centre (6)   ERK (3)   Independents (5)
Committees	11 Committees Constitutional Cultural Affairs Economic Affairs Environment European Union Affairs Finance Foreign Affairs Legal Affairs National Defence Rural Affairs Social Affairs
Elections
Voting system	Party-list proportional representation Modified D'Hondt method
Last election	5 March 2023
Next election	By 7 March 2027
Meeting place
Parliament building in Toompea Castle, Tallinn
Website
www.riigikogu.ee

The Riigikogu (from Estonian riigi-, "of the state", and kogu, "assembly") is the unicameral parliamentofEstonia. 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.

Politics of Estonia
State Constitution Declaration of Independence Human rights
Presidency President Alar Karis
Executive Prime Minister Kaja Kallas Government of Estonia Incumbent cabinet
Legislature Riigikogu Speaker: Lauri Hussar
Judiciary Supreme Court Chancellor of Justice
Elections Political parties Recent elections Riigikogu: 2019 2023 next Presidential: 2016 2021 2026 Municipal: 2013 2017 2021 European: 2014 2019 2024
Administrative divisions Counties Municipalities
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Politics of the European Union
Estonia portal Other countries
v t e

23 April 1919, the opening session of the Estonian Constituent Assembly is considered the founding date of the Parliament of Estonia.^[1] 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.^[2] 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 was 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.^[3] In 1937, a second constitution was approved by referendum which saw the introduction of a two chambered legislature, the Chamber of Deputies [et] (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 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.

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.

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Estonian Reform Party	190,632	31.24	+2.31	37	+3
	Conservative People's Party of Estonia	97,966	16.05	−1.71	17	−2
	Estonian Centre Party	93,254	15.28	−7.82	16	−10
	Estonia 200	81,329	13.33	+8.97	14	+14
	Social Democratic Party	56,584	9.27	−0.56	9	−1
	Isamaa	50,118	8.21	−3.23	8	−4
	Estonian United Left Party	14,605	2.39	+2.30	0	0
	Parempoolsed	14,037	2.30	New	0	New
	Estonian Greens	5,886	0.96	−0.86	0	0
	Independents	5,888	0.96	+0.68	0	0
Total		610,299	100.00	–	101	0
Valid votes		610,299	99.43
Invalid/blank votes		3,502	0.57
Total votes		613,801	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		966,129	63.53
Source: National Electoral Committee[4]

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

• Reform Party38
  • party leader: Kaja Kallas
• Social Democratic Party of Estonia14
  • party leader: Lauri Läänemets
• Estonia 20013
  • party leader: Margus Tsahkna
• Conservative People's Party of Estonia11
  • party leader: Martin Helme
• Isamaa11
  • party leader: Urmas Reinsalu
• Centre Party6
  • party leader: Mihhail Kõlvart
• Independents 8

The salary of the speaker is €8318.19 per month.^[5]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2020)

Established on October 5 of 1992, the Chancellery of the Riigikogu (Estonian: Riigikogu Kantselei) is the administration supporting the Riigikogu in the performance of its constitutional functions.^[8] The departments of the Chancellery perform the daily functions.

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

• Official website
• Riigkogu's election law (in English)

59°26′09″N 24°44′14″E / 59.43583°N 24.73722°E / 59.43583; 24.73722