{"id":5063,"date":"2026-04-29T15:36:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T12:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/?page_id=5063"},"modified":"2026-09-10T15:19:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T12:19:28","slug":"structure-of-riigikogu","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/en\/introduction-and-history\/introduction\/structure-of-riigikogu\/","title":{"rendered":"Structure of the Riigikogu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Structure of the Riigikogu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Riigikogu consists of 101 members who are elected by the people. For the organisation of the work of the Riigikogu, the Members of the Riigikogu elect a three-member Board that is chaired by the President of the Riigikogu. The Board represents the Riigikogu in both domestic and foreign relations and chairs the sittings of the Plenary Assembly. The parliamentary groups of the Riigikogu carry out the political programme of political parties. The committees of the Riigikogu deal with the draft legislation and exercise parliamentary control over their fields of activity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Structure of the Riigikogu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Members of the Riigikogu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The number of the members of the Riigikogu, 101, is approximately a cube root of the number of the Estonian citizens with the right to vote. The mandate of a member<\/a> commences on the day the results of the election of the Riigikogu are announced and is suspended upon his or her appointment as member of the Government of the Republic or a minister. When a member of the Government of the Republic is released from his or her duties, his or her mandate of a member of the Riigikogu is restored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the first sitting of a new composition of the Riigikogu its members take an oath of office declaring loyalty to the Republic of Estonia and to its constitutional order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The text of the oath<\/span> is read by the eldest member of the Riigikogu and after that all other members sign the oath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Riigikogu must always have 101 members<\/a>, and therefore the Constitution establishes the institution of an alternate member. An alternate member has all the rights and duties of a member of the Riigikogu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the Riigikogu are given guarantees by the Constitution that enable them to perform their duties independently, proceeding from their convictions and the promises given before the elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the Riigikogu receive a salary<\/a> for their work and have the right to reimbursement of the expenses related to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The legislative proceeding of the Bill on amendments to the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act and and Other Associated Acts (N. 340), initiated by the Cultural Affairs Committee, was one of the longest discussions of draft legislation in the recent history of the Riigikogu. Around 30 organisations were involved in the preparation of this Act.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Board of the Riigikogu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Board of the Riigikogu<\/a> presides over the work of the Riigikogu. The Board is elected from among the members of the Riigikogu and it consists of the President of the Riigikogu, the First Vice-President of the Riigikogu and the Second Vice-President of the Riigikogu.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Board is elected every year in March.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A new composition of the Riigikogu elects the Board at its first sitting for the term of one year. After that, regular elections of the Board of the Riigikogu are held at the last sitting of the Riigikogu plenary working week before one year has passed since the previous regular election of the Board of the Riigikogu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work of the Board of the Riigikogu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Board of the Riigikogu represents the Riigikogu in both domestic and foreign relations<\/a> and chairs the sittings of the Plenary Assembly. The responsibilities of the Board include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n