{"id":5014,"date":"2026-04-29T15:34:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T12:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/?page_id=5014"},"modified":"2026-09-10T15:20:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T12:20:00","slug":"what-does-riigikogu","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/en\/introduction-and-history\/introduction\/what-does-riigikogu\/","title":{"rendered":"What does Riigikogu do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What does Riigikogu do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Riigikogu represents the people, solving important national issues. Its most important tasks are law-making, adoption of resolutions, carrying out parliamentary supervision and conducting foreign relations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is practically impossible for the people to take part directly in the state government, which is why the people elect a representative body \u2013 Riigikogu \u2013 from among themselves. This is the way the people exercise state power via the Estonian citizens with the right to vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does the Riigikogu work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Riigikogu working period is called a session and there are two regular sessions a year. The work of the Riigikogu takes place through plenary sittings, in committees and parliamentary groups. The sittings of the Riigikogu are public and can be viewed from the balcony of the Plenary Hall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Watch live broadcast<\/a> from the Plenary Hall of the Riigikogu.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Riigikogu can declare a sitting closed if it must discuss issues where a public debate would harm the country or its security, or if state secrets would be divulged.  So far, this has only been done once, when the weapons procurement agreement was ratified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Under the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act a member of the Riigikogu has 20 minutes for their presentation, 5 minutes for a speech from the rostrum (if requested, the chair may extend it by 3 minutes), 2 minutes for a speech from their seat, 2 minutes for a reply and 1 minute for asking an oral question from their seat.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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What are the tasks of the Riigikogu?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The three most important tasks of the Riigikogu are the passing of Acts and resolutions<\/a>, carrying out of parliamentary supervision<\/a> and conducting foreign relations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to these, the Riigikogu:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n