Eiki Nestor was elected the President of the Riigikogu

The new Riigikogu (Parliament) of Estonia elected Eiki Nestor as its President today. 58 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of him. 41 MPs voted for Andres Herkel, who also stood as a candidate for the President of the Riigikogu. One ballot paper was invalid.

Nestor said that the new parliament will be more colourful politically. The previous Riigikogu had four factions, but the new Riigikogu that held its opening sitting today has six factions.

“I believe that the parliament with four factions will remain an exception in our political history,” Nestor said. “The main thing is to be able to show respect for your colleagues even in heated disputes.”

Photos of the opening sitting of the Riigikogu

Video recordings of the sittings of the Riigikogu can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu