Head of State of Estonia

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The Head of State of Estonia or State Elder (Estonian : riigivanem) was the official title of the Estonian head of state from 1920 to 1937. [1] He combined some of the functions held by a president and prime minister in most other democracies.

Contents

According to the 1920 Estonian Constitution, which was enforced by the “Constitution of the Republic of Estonia, the Referendum Act and the Citizens’s Initiative Act Implementation Act“ on July 2, 1920, after being approved by the Constituent Assembly on June 16, 1920 (Riigi Teataja August 9, 1920 No. 113/114), the Government of the Republic consisted of the riigivanem (Head of State) and Ministers (Section 58).

The responsibilities of the Head of State were representing the Republic of Estonia, administration and co-ordination of the activities of the Government of the Republic, chairing the Government meetings; the Head of State had the right to make inquiries about the activities of the Ministers (Section 62). The Government of the Republic appointed one of its members the Deputy of the Elder of State.

In practice, the Head of State had very little power. The 1920 constitution was radically parliamentarian in character, and the Head of State could be voted out of office at any time. This limited his ability to play a balancing role between the government and the legislature.

With the 1934 constitution, the institution saw a reform and it became the equivalent of a president only as a separate head of government was to be elected. The 1934 coup by Konstantin Päts resulted in the institution never coming to real life as he ruled as the Prime Minister in Duties of the Head of State until 1937.

Heads of State of the Republic of Estonia, 1920–1934

PortraitNameTerm of OfficePolitical PartyCabinet Riigikogu
(Election)
Separate
Head of State
Took OfficeLeft OfficeDays
The 1920 Constitution replaced the office of Prime Minister.
1 Ants Piip, 1923.jpg Ants Piip
(1884–1942)
1st State Elder
20 December 192025 January 192192 Labour Party
(ETE)
Piip
ETE
Constituent
Assembly
(1919)
None
2 Konstantin Pats.jpg Konstantin Päts
(1874–1956)
2nd State Elder
25 January 192121 November 1922666 Farmers' Assemblies
(PK)
Päts I
PKETEEREKRE
PK(ETE)EREKRE
PKEREKRE
[Note 1]
I
(1920)
3 Juhan Kukk
(1885–1942)
3rd State Elder
21 November 19222 August 1923255 Labour Party
(ETE)
Kukk
ETEPKERE
ETEPK–(ERE)
[Note 2]
4 Konstantin Pats.jpg Konstantin Päts
(1874–1956)
4th State Elder
(2nd term)
2 August 192326 March 1924238 Farmers' Assemblies
(PK)
Päts II
PKKREEREETE
PKKREERE(ETE)
PKKREERE
[Note 3]
II
(1923)
5 Friedrich Akel.jpg Friedrich Karl Akel
(1871–1941)
5th State Elder
26 March 192416 December 1924266 Christian People's Party
(KRE)
Akel
KREETEERE
6 Portree, Eesti Panga president J. Jaakson, AM F 27238-2.jpg Jüri Jaakson
(1870–1942)
6th State Elder
16 December 192415 December 1925365 People's Party
(ERE)
Jaakson
EREPKESDTPETEKRE
EREPKESTPETEKRE
[Note 4]
7 Jaan teemant.jpg Jaan Teemant
(1872–1941?)
7th State Elder
15 December 192523 July 1926725 Farmers' Assemblies
(PK)
Teemant I
PKETEKREARVK
PKETEKREARVKRVP
[Note 5]
23 July 19264 March 1927Teemant II
PKARVKKREEREÜMSL
III
(1926)
4 March 19279 December 1927Teemant III
PKARVKEREKREÜMSL
8 Jaan Tonisson1928.jpg Jaan Tõnisson
(1868–1941?)
8th State Elder
9 December 19274 December 1928362 People's Party
(ERE)
Tõnisson III
EREPKARVKETE
9 August Rei (cropped).jpg August Rei
(1886–1963)
9th State Elder
4 December 19289 July 1929218 Socialist Workers' Party
(ESTP)
Rei
ESTPARVKETEKRE
10 Prime minister Otto Strandman.jpg Otto August Strandman
(1875–1941)
10th State Elder
9 July 192912 February 1931584 Labour Party
(ETE)
Strandman II
ETEARVKPKKREERE
IV
(1929)
11 Konstantin Pats.jpg Konstantin Päts
(1874–1956)
11th State Elder
(3rd term)
12 February 193119 February 1932373 Farmers' Assemblies
(PK)
Päts III
PKEREESTP
PKERE/(KRE)–ESTP
PK/(PAVK)–ERE/(KRE)–ESTP
PK/(PAVK)–RKEESTP
[Note 6]
12 Jaan teemant.jpg Jaan Teemant
(1872–1941?)
12th State Elder
(2nd term)
19 February 193219 July 1932152 Farmers' Assemblies
(PK)
Teemant IV
PK/PAVKRKE
ÜPERKE
[Note 7]
United Farmers' Party
(ÜPE)
13 Kaarel Eenpalu.jpg Karl August Einbund
(later Kaarel Eenpalu)
(1888–1942)
13th State Elder
19 July 19321 November 1932106 United Farmers' Party
(ÜPE)
Einbund I
ÜPERKE
[Note 8]
V
(1932)
14 Konstantin Pats.jpg Konstantin Päts
(1874–1956)
14th State Elder
(4th term)
1 November 193218 May 1933199 United Farmers' Party
(ÜPE)
Päts IV
ÜPERKEESTP
15 Jaan Tonisson1928.jpg Jaan Tõnisson
(1868–1941?)
15th State Elder
(2nd term)
18 May 193321 October 1933157 National Centre Party
(RKE)
Tõnisson IV
RKEÜPE
16 Konstantin Pats.jpg Konstantin Päts
(1874–1956)
16th State Elder
(5th term)
21 October 193324 January 19341,647 Farmers' Assemblies
(PK)
[Note 9]
Päts V
non-party coalition
[Note 10]
The 1934 Constitution divided the office of State Elder between a new office called State Elder and a Prime Minister.

Head of State of the Republic of Estonia, 1934–1937

PortraitNameTerm of OfficePolitical PartyCabinet Riigikogu
(Election)
Separate
Head of Government
Took OfficeLeft OfficeDays
The 1934 Constitution divided the office of State Elder between a new office called State Elder and a Prime Minister.
Konstantin Pats.jpg Konstantin Päts
(1874–1956)
6th Prime Minister
(in duties of the State Elder)
24 January 19343 September 19371,319 Farmers' Assemblies
(PK)
[Note 11]
Päts V
non-party coalition
[Note 10]
V
(1932)
Prime Minister
in duties of
the State Elder

Konstantin
Päts
None
[Note 12]
Parliament
disbanded

[Note 13]
The Amendment Act of the 1938 Constitution temporarily merged the offices of State Elder and Prime Minister into President-Regent.

See also

Notes

  1. The Estonian Labour Party (ETE) left the coalition on 13 October 1921. Its ministers resigned on 20 October 1921.
  2. The Minister of Internal Affairs Karl August Einbund, the only representative of the Estonian People's Party (ERE) in the coalition, left the party on 5 March 1923. His former party decided to remain in the coalition without any ministerial positions.
  3. The Estonian Labour Party (ETE) left the coalition on 14 February 1924. Its ministers remained in office until 19 February 1924.
  4. The Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party (ESDTP) merged with the Independent Socialist Workers' Party (ISTP) and formed the Estonian Socialist Workers' Party (ESTP) on 9 April 1925 and the new party remained in the government.
  5. The National Liberal Party (RVP) joined the coalition on 12 January 1926.
  6. The parliamentary group of the Estonian People's Party (ERE) merged with the parliamentary group of the Christian People's Party (KRE) on 28 October 1931 and the parliamentary group of the Farmers' Assemblies (PK) with the parliamentary group of the Settlers', State Tenants' and Smallholders' Group (PAVK) on 26 January 1932, with both party coalitions remaining in the government. The Estonian People's Party (ERE) and the Christian People's Party (KRE), already in a party coalition, merged with the Estonian Labour Party (ETE) and formed the National Centre Party (RKE) on 29 January 1932. The party remained in the government.
  7. The Farmers' Assemblies (PK) and the Settlers', State Tenants' and Smallholders' Group (PAVK), already in a party coalition, merged and formed the United Farmers' Party (ÜPE) on 29 February 1932. The new party remained in the coalition.
  8. As Karl August Einbund Estonianized his name into Kaarel Eenpalu, his two cabinets are therefore known as Einbund I and Eenpalu II cabinets.
  9. All political parties were banned on 20 March 1935.
  10. 1 2 Although Konstantin Päts resigned as President-Regent on 24 April 1938 to become the President on the same day, his cabinet remained temporarily in office until 9 May 1938, headed by acting Prime Minister Kaarel Eenpalu.
  11. All political parties were banned on 20 March 1935.
  12. Was member of the Patriotic League which was the only sanctioned political organization, but which cannot be considered a political party per se.
  13. The "Era of Silence" began with Konstantin Päts' self-coup on 12 March 1934. The Riigikogu approved of the coup retroactively on 15 March 1934. The Riigikogu was thereafter not convened after 2 October 1934. It was officially disbanded on 1 January 1938.

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References

  1. "Eesti Vabariigi Riigikantselei 1918-1940". Riigikantselei (in Estonian). Retrieved 19 January 2022.