Riigikogu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Estonian Parliament)
Jump to: navigation, search
Estonia

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Estonia
Other countries · Atlas
 Politics Portal
view • talk • edit

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

Contents

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.

Since 1922, the sessions of the Riigikogu have taken place in the Toompea castle, where a new building in the exquisite expressionist and in an unusually modern style was erected to the former courtyard of the medieval castle in 1920-1922. During the subsequent periods of Soviet (1940-41), German (1941-44) and second Soviet occupation of Estonia (1944-1991) the Riigikogu was disbanded. The castle and the building of Riigikogu was used by the Supreme Soviet of Estonian SSR.

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 4, 2007. The main differences between this system and a pure political 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 unproportionality than does the usual form of the formula.

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 4 March 2007 Parliament of Estonia election results
Party Ideology Votes % Change Seats Change
  Estonian Reform Party (Eesti Reformierakond) Classical liberalism 153,044 27.8% +10.1% 31 +12
  Estonian Centre Party (Eesti Keskerakond) Social liberalism 143,518 26.1% +0.7% 29 +1
  Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit)1 Conservatism 98,347 17.9% –14.0% 19 –16
  Social Democratic Party (Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond)2 Social democracy 58,363 10.6% +3.6% 10 +4
  Estonian Greens (Erakond Eestimaa Rohelised)3 Green politics 39,279 7.1% +7.1% 6 +6
  People's Union of Estonia (Eestimaa Rahvaliit) Agrarianism 39,215 7.1% –5.9% 6 –7
  Party of Estonian Christian Democrats (Erakond Eesti Kristlikud Demokraadid)4 Christian democracy 9,456 1.7% +0.7% 0 —
  Constitution Party (Konstitutsioonierakond)5 Russian minority, left-wing 5,464 1.0% –1.2% 0 —
  Estonian Independence Party (Eesti Iseseisvuspartei) Euroscepticism, Nationalism 1,273 0.2% –0.4% 0 —
  Russian Party in Estonia (Vene Eesti Erakond) Russian minority 1,084 0.2% ±0.0% 0 —
  Estonian Left Party (Eesti Vasakpartei)6 Democratic socialism 607 0.1% –0.3% 0 —
  Independents 563 0.1% –0.3% 0 —
Total 550,213 100.0% — 101 —

Note 1: Compared to the sum of the Res Publica Party and the Pro Patria Union, who merged to form the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica in 2006.
Note 2: Compared to the Moderate People's Party, which became the Social Democratic Party in 2004.
Note 3: The Greens did not participate in the previous elections.
Note 4: Compared to the Estonian Christian People's Union, which became the Party of Estonian Christian Democrats in 2006.
Note 5: Compared to the Estonian United People's Party, which became the Constitution Party in 2006.
Note 6: Compared to the Estonian Social Democratic Labour Party, which became the Estonian Left Party in 2004.

  1. ^ Chronology at riigikogu.ee
v • d • e
Parliament of Europe
Sovereign states Albania · Andorra · Armenia1 · Austria · Azerbaijan2 · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus1 · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia2 · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan2 · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia3 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey3 · Ukraine · United Kingdom (England · Scotland · Northern Ireland · Wales)
Dependencies,
autonomies, and
other territories		 Abkhazia2 · Adjara1 · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Åland · Azores · Crimea · Faroe Islands · Gagauzia · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Jan Mayen · Jersey · Kosovo · Isle of Man · Madeira4 · Nagorno-Karabakh1 · Nakhchivan1 · South Ossetia2 · Svalbard · Transnistria · Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus1, 5

1 Entirely in Southwest Asia; included here because of cultural, political and historical association with Europe. 2 Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the definition of the border between Europe and Asia. 3 Mostly in Asia. 4 Entirely in the African Plate, included here because of cultural, political and historical association with Europe. 5 Only recognised by Turkey.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riigikogu"
Advanced Search
Included Web Search Engines


Safe Search

close

Top Matching Results

Occasionally Search.com will highlight specialized results that are based on the context of your query. Examples of specialized results include specific links to news, images, or video.

Top Matching Results may highlight information from other Search.com pages, content from the CNET Network of sites, or third party content. The listings are based purely on relevance. Search.com does not receive payment for listings in this section but our partners that provide this data may get paid for listing these products.

Sponsored Links

This section contains paid listings which have been purchased by companies that want to have their sites appear for specific search terms and related content. These listings are administered, sorted and maintained by a third party and are not endorsed by Search.com.

Search Results

Search.com sends your search query to several search engines at one time and integrates the results into one list which has been sorted by relevance using Search.com's proprietary algorithm. You can customize the list of search engines included in your metasearch from the preferences.

The search engines that are used in your metasearch may allow companies to pay to have their Web sites included within the results. To view the Paid Inclusion policy for a specific search engine, please visit their Web site. Search.com does not accept payment or share revenue with any search engine partner for listings in this section.