Riigikogudes

Riigikogud are the legislative assemblies that have governed Estonia in its modern parliamentary era. The modern Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of the Republic of Estonia, based in Toompea Castle in Tallinn. It comprises 101 members who are elected for four-year terms by open-list proportional representation. The national electoral threshold is 5 percent, and seats are allocated using a proportional method across multi-member districts.

The Riigikogu is the supreme representative body and the primary law-making authority in Estonia. Its core functions include drafting and passing laws, approving the state budget, and ratifying international treaties. It also exercises parliamentary oversight over the government and state administration, holds hearings and inquiries, and can conduct motions related to confidence in the government or individual ministers. The parliament elects and supports the Parliament’s leadership, including the Speaker and the heads of its standing committees, which cover areas such as foreign affairs, finance, education, and social welfare.

Elections to the Riigikogu are competitive multi-party contests. No single party typically holds a stable majority, making coalitions common. This multi-party system shapes government formation and policy negotiation, with the executive branch generally formed from parties or coalitions that win parliamentary support.

Historically, Estonia’s parliamentary tradition dates back to the 1919–1920 Constituent

Assembly and the 1920–1940 Riigikogu, interrupted by Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1991. The current constitutional framework, established in 1992 after regaining independence, continues to organize the Riigikogu’s work. Today, successive convocations are numbered (I, II, III, etc.), with the XII Riigikogu (2023–2027) representing the latest term.