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Estonian Parliament Riigikogu
XIII Riigikogu
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	23 April 1919
Disbanded	suspended from 1940-1991
Leadership
President of the Riigikogu	Eiki Nestor, (SDE) Since 20 March 2014
First Vice-President of the Riigikogu	Enn Eesmaa, (KE) Since 22 March 2018
Second Vice-President of the Riigikogu	Kalle Laanet, (RE) Since 22 March 2018
Structure
Seats	101 (list)
Political groups	Government (50)      KE (25)      SDE (14)      ISA (11) Opposition (51)      RE (30)      EV (6)      EKRE (7)      Independent (8)
Elections
Voting system	Party-list proportional representation Modified D'Hondt method
Last election	1 March 2015
Next election	3 March 2019
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
Executive President Kersti Kaljulaid Prime Minister Jüri Ratas Government of Estonia Incumbent cabinet
Legislature Riigikogu Speaker: Eiki Nestor
Judiciary Supreme Court Chancellor of Justice
Elections Parliamentary: 2007 2011 2015 Presidential: 2006 2011 2016 Municipal: 2009 2013 2017 European: 2004 2009 2014 Political parties
Administrative divisions Counties Municipalities
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Other countries Atlas
v t e

The Riigikogu (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈriːgikogu]; 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

Early elections

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

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

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

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 1, 2015. 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

Current seat allocation

Riigikogu

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

• 
  Reform Party 30
  
  • 
    party leader: Kaja Kallas
    


• 
  Centre Party 25
  
  • 
    party leader: Jüri Ratas
    


• 
  Social Democratic Party of Estonia 14
  
  • 
    party leader: Jevgeni Ossinovski
    


• 
  Pro Patria 11
  
  • 
    party leader: Helir-Valdor Seeder
    


• 
  Estonian Free Party 6
  
  • 
    party leader: Kaul Nurm
    


• 
  Conservative People's Party of Estonia 7
  
  • 
    party leader: Mart Helme
    


• 
  Independent 8 ^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

Speakers of the Riigikogu

1921-1937

Speakers of the Riigivolikogu (lower chamber)

Speaker of the Riiginõukogu (upper chamber)

Chairman of the Supreme Council (1990–1992)

Speaker of the Supreme Council (1990–1992)

Since 1992

External links

• 
  (in Estonian) Riigikogu's website
  


• 
  (in English) Riigikogu's website
  


• 
  (in English) Riigkogu's election law
  


• 
  (in Estonian) Riigikogu's history
  

See also

• List of members of the Parliament of Estonia


• Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

References