Politics of Estonia
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Template:Politics of Estonia On June 28, 1992, Estonian voters approved the constitutional assembly's draft constitution and implementation act, which established a parliamentary government with a president as chief of state and with a government headed by a prime minister.
The Riigikogu, a unicameral legislative body, is the highest organ of state authority. It initiates and approves legislation sponsored by the prime minister. The prime minister has full responsibility and control over his cabinet. Parliamentary and presidential elections were held on September 20, 1992. Approximately 68% of the country's 637,000 registered voters cast ballots. Lennart Meri, an outstanding writer and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, won this election and became president. He chose 32-year-old historian and Christian Democratic Party founder Mart Laar as prime minister.
In February 1992, and with amendments in January 1995, the Riigikogu renewed Estonia's 1938 citizenship law, which also provides equal civil protection to resident aliens.
In 1996, Estonia ratified a border agreement with Latvia and completed work with Russia on a technical border agreement. President Meri was re-elected in free and fair indirect elections in August and September in 1996. During parliamentary elections in 1999, the seats in Riigikogu were divided as follows: the Center Party received 28, the Pro Patria Union 18, the Reform Party 18, the People's Party Moderates (election cartel between Moderates and People's Party) 17, Coalition Party 7, Country People's Party (now People's Union) 7, United People's Party's electoral cartel 6 seats. Pro Patria Union, the Reform Party, and the Moderates formed a government with Mart Laar as prime minister whereas the Center Party with the Coalition Party, People's Union, United People's Party, and Members of Parliament who were not members of factions formed the opposition in the Riigikogu.
The Moderates joined with the People's Party on 27 November 1999, forming the People's Party Moderates.
In fall 2001 Arnold Rüütel became the President of the Republic of Estonia. In January 2002 Prime Minister Laar stepped down and President Rüütel appointed Siim Kallas the new prime minister. On January 28, 2002 the new government was formed from a coalition with The Reform Party and the Center Party.
Following parliamentary elections in 2003, the seats were allocated as follows: Center 28, Res Publica 28, the Reform Party 19, the People's Union 13, the Pro Patria Union 7 and the Moderates 6 seats. United People's Party failed to meet the 5% threshold. Res Publica, the Reform Party and the Peoples Union formed the government. From this coalition President Rüütel chose the leader of the Res Publica party, Juhan Parts to form a government.
On 14 September 2003, following negotiations that began in 1998, the citizens of Estonia were asked in referendum weather or not they whish to join the European Union. With 64% of the electorate turning out the referendum passed with a 66.83% margin in favor, 33.17% against, of ascension to the EU, which would take place on 1 May of the following year.
In February 2004 the People's Party Moderates renamed themselves as Social Democratic Party of Estonia.
On the 8th May, 2004, a defection of several Centrists party members to form a new party, the Social Liberal party, over a row concerning the Centrists party "no" stance to joining the European Union changed the allocation of the seats in the Riiigkogu, social-liberals had a 8 seats in Riigikogu, but hope to form a new party disappered on the 10th May 2005, because the most members in the social-liberal group joined with other parteis. Current seats allocation is: Res Publica 28, Center 19, the Reform Party 21, the People's Union 15, Social Democratic Party of Estonia 8, Pro Patria Union 7, independents (former social-liberal group) 3. SDE has since 31st March an agreement with social-liberals. This agreement declares their co-operation in parliament and in local council election in 2005th.
On 24 March Prime Minister Juhan Parts announced his resignation following a vote of no confidence in the Riiigkogu against Minister of Justice Ken-Marti Vaher, which was held on the 21 March. Result: 54 pro (Social Democrats, Social Liberals, People's Union, Fatherland League and Reform Party) without no against or neutral MPs. 32 MPs (Res Publica and Center Party) didn't take part.
On 4 April 2005, President Rüütel nominated Reform party leader Andrus Ansip as Prime Minister designate by and asked him to form a new government, the 8th in 12 years. Ansip is going to form a government out of a coalition of his Reform Party with the People’s Union and the Center Party. Ansip will assume the full post once the Riigikogu, which by law must decide within 14 days of his nomination, approves him.
Approval by Riigikogu came on 12 April 2005. Ansip was backed by 53 out of 101 members of the Estonian parliament. Forty deputies voted against his candidature.
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National Information
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Estonia
conventional short form: Estonia
local long form: Eesti Vabariik
local short form: Eesti
former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: EN
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Tallinn
Independence: 24 February 1918 (from Russia)
restored 20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 February (1918)
Constitution: adopted 28 June 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Executive branch
chief of state: President Arnold Rüütel
head of government: Prime Minister Andrus Ansip
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament
The Cabinet
The new cabinet, approved by the Riigikogu on 12 April 2005, looks as follows:
Reformierakond
- Prime Minister Andrus Ansip
- Secretary of State Urmas Paet (former Minister of Culture; journalist)
- Secretary of Defense Jaak Jõerüüt
- Attorney General Rein Lang
- Secretary of National Affairs Paul-Eerik Rummo (formerly in this position; poet)
Keskerakond
- Secretary of Economics and Communications Edgar Savisaar (former Prime Minister and Lord Mayor of Tallinn; leader of the Keskerakond)
- Secretary of Culture Raivo Palmaru
- Secretary of Social Affairs Jaak Aab
- Interior Secretary Kalle Laanet
- Minister of Education and Science Mailis Reps
Rahvaliit
- Secretary of the Environment Villu Reiljan (held this position previously)
- Secretary of Agriculture Ester Tuiksoo
- Finance Secretary Aivar Sõerd
- Secretary of Regional Affairs Jaan Õunapuu (held this position previously)
The general consensus in the Estonian media seems to be that the new cabinet, on the level of competence, is not necessarily an improvement over the old one, with the exception of the key positions Attorney General and Secretary of Finance. The new government is colloquially called the "Garlic Coalition", because the agreement between the party leaders was reached at the Tallinn restaurant "Balthasar" (http://www.restaurant.ee/Balthasar/index.php?lang=eng&rid=1), which specializes in garlic dishes.
elections: President elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if he or she does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
Legislative branch
type: unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held 4th March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Center Party 25.4%, Res Publica 24.6%, the Reform Party 17.7%, People's Union 13.0%, Fatherland League 7.3%, People's Party Moderates 7.0%, United People's Party 2.2%, Christain People's Party 1.1%, the Independence Party 0.5%, Estonian Socialdemocratic Labour Party (now the Left Party, eurocommunistic) 0,4%, Russian Party in Estonia 0.2%, independents (total) 0.4%. Percents are in the national level. The threshold is 5% nationality. Turnout was 58.2%.
seats by party - Center Party 28, Res Publica 28, Reform Party 19, People's Union 13, Union of Pro Patria (Fatherland League) 7, Moderates 6.
Judicial branch
type: National Court, chairman appointed by Parliament for life
International organization participation
BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- See also : Estonia