Politics in Estonia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic,whereby the Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government,and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in the Estonian parliament. Executive power is exercised by the government,which is led by the prime minister. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Estonia is a member of the United Nations,the European Union,and NATO.
The history of Estonia forms a part of the history of Europe. Humans settled in the region of Estonia near the end of the last glacial era,beginning from around 9000 BC.
Juhan Parts is an Estonian politician who was Prime Minister of Estonia from 2003 to 2005 and Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications from 2007 to 2014. Juhan Parts is a member of Isamaa party.
The Estonian Centre Party is a left-centrist political party in Estonia. It was founded in 1991 as a direct successor of the Popular Front of Estonia,and it is currently led by Mihhail Kõlvart.
The People's Union of Estonia was a political party in Estonia. Its last leader was Margo Miljand.
Otto August Strandman was an Estonian politician,who served as prime minister (1919) and State Elder of Estonia (1929–1931). He was one of the leaders of the centre-left Estonian Labour Party,that saw its biggest support after the 1919 and 1920 elections. Strandman was a key figure in composing the radical land reform law and the 1920 Constitution. He also served as Minister of Agriculture (1918–1919),Minister of Justice,Minister of Finance (1924),Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of War (1919). While he was holding the office of the Minister of Finance,he stabilized the economy and managed to avoid hyperinflation. Strandman served as the speaker of the Estonian Provincial Assembly in 1917–1918,and as speaker of the newly independent country's parliament (Riigikogu) in 1921. He was also a diplomat,serving as the Estonian envoy in Warsaw,Poland (1927–1929),and in Paris,France (1933–1939).
Res Publica Party was a political party in Estonia that self-identified as conservative. Established as a party on 8 December 2001,the political organisation Res Publica was founded already as early as 1989 and existed as a community of young conservatives,mostly associated with the Pro Patria Union party during the 1990s. Res Publica was a member of the EPP on the European level. It merged with Pro Patria Union in 2006 to form the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union.
The Social Democratic Party is a centre-left political party in Estonia. It is currently led by Lauri Läänemets. The party was formerly known as the Moderate People's Party. The SDE has been a member of the Party of European Socialists since 16 May 2003 and was a member of the Socialist International from November 1990 to 2017. It is orientated towards the principles of social-democracy,and it supports Estonia's membership in the European Union. From April 2023,the party has been a junior coalition partner in the third Kallas government.
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 2 March 2003. The newly elected 101 members of the 10th Riigikogu assembled at Toompea Castle in Tallinn within ten days of the election. Two opposing parties won the most seats,with both the Centre Party and Res Publica Party winning 28 seats in the Riigikogu. Res Publica was able to gain enough support in negotiations after the elections to form a coalition government.
Andrus Ansip is an Estonian politician,a member of the European Parliament,the former European Commissioner for Digital Single Market and Vice President of the European Commission,in office from 2014 until 2019. Previously,he was Prime Minister of Estonia from 2005 to 2014 and chairman of the liberal Estonian Reform Party from 2004 to 2014.
Andrus Ansip is the former Prime Minister of Estonia who formed three consecutive cabinets.
Jüri Ratas is an Estonian politician who was the 18th prime minister of Estonia from 2016 to 2021. He was the Leader of the Centre Party from 2016 to 2023,and was the mayor of Tallinn from 2005 to 2007.
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 4 March 2007. The newly elected 101 members of the 11th Riigikogu assembled at Toompea Castle in Tallinn within ten days of the election. It was the world's first nationwide vote where part of the voting was carried out in the form of remote electronic voting via the internet.
Otto Tief was an Estonian politician,military commander,and a lawyer.
Siim Valmar Kiisler is an Estonian politician,a member of the Parempoolsed,former member of Isamaa.
Eerik-Niiles Kross is an Estonian politician,diplomat,former chief of intelligence and entrepreneur. He is a member of parliament (Riigikogu). During the 1980s,Kross was a prominent figure in the anti-Soviet non-violent resistance movement in Soviet Estonia. After re-independence,in 1991,he joined Estonia's Foreign Ministry. He served as the head of intelligence from 1995 to 2000;and as national security advisor to former President Lennart Meri in 2000 and 2001.
Kristen Michal is an Estonian politician. A member of the Estonian Reform Party,he was the minister of economic affairs and infrastructure in Taavi Rõivas' cabinet between 9 April 2015 and 22 November 2016. Previously,Michal served as the minister of justice from 2011 to 2012.
Taavi Rõivas is an Estonian politician,former Prime Minister of Estonia from 2014 to 2016 and former leader of the Reform Party. Before his term as the Prime Minister,Rõivas was the Minister of Social Affairs from 2012 to 2014. On 9 November 2016 his second cabinet dissolved after coalition partners,Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica and Social Democratic Party,sided with the opposition in a no confidence motion. At the end of 2020,Rõivas announced quitting politics,and resigned from his parliament seat.
Electoral district no. 1 is one of the 12 multi-member electoral districts of the Riigikogu,the national legislature of Estonia. The electoral district was established in 1995 following the re-organisation of the electoral districts in Tallinn. It is conterminous with the districts of Haabersti,Kristiine and Põhja-Tallinn in Tallinn. The district currently elects 10 of the 101 members of the Riigikogu using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2019 parliamentary election it had 85,469 registered electors.
Juhan Parts's cabinet was in office in Estonia from 10 April 2003 to 13 April 2005,when it was succeeded by Andrus Ansip's first cabinet.
