Parliamentary supervision
Besides adopting legal acts, the Riigikogu has the task of supervising the activities of the executive power, including the government. The Riigikogu has several means for doing this: interpellations, written questions, Question Time, creating a committee of investigation, or also a vote of no confidence against a member of the Government or the entire Government.
The Riigikogu plays an important role in shaping Estonian politics. Besides adopting legal acts, the Riigikogu is responsible for supervising the activities of the executive power. Means of parliamentary control include interpellations (in Estonian) and written questions (in Estonian) by members of the Riigikogu, and the weekly Question Time (in Estonian).
A member of the Riigikogu has the right to submit interpellations and questions to members of the Government as well as to leading state officials, such as the Auditor General, Chancellor of Justice, the President of the Bank of Estonia and others. It is compulsory to answer the interpellations of members of the Riigikogu orally at the sittings of the Riigikogu, written questions must be answered in writing.
One means of parliamentary supervision is also the vote of no confidence against a member of the Government or the entire Government.
All committees exercise parliamentary supervision within their particular field, for example the State Budget Control Select Committee.
A committee of investigation can be created in order to deal with a subject that needs in depth analysis. For example the Committee of Investigation to Ascertain the Circumstances of the Proceeding and Satisfaction of the Claims Collected to the VEB Fund and the Committee of Investigation for Ascertaining the Facts Relating to the Issuing of Temporary Residence Permits to Aliens have been created.
Deliberation of a matter of significant national importance (in Estonian) enables a member of parliament to deal with the politics carried out by the Government more generally than in connection with specific draft legislation. Such a deliberation may be initiated by a committee a parliamentary group of the Riigikogu.
Instruments of parliamentary control
Last updated: 01.04.2023