Prime Minister of Estonia

The prime minister of Estonia () is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the president after appropriate consultations with the parliamentary factions and confirmed by the parliament (Riigikogu). In case of disagreement, the parliament can reject the president's nomination and choose their own candidate. In practice, since the prime minister must maintain the confidence of parliament in order to remain in office, they are usually the leader of the senior partner in the governing coalition. The current prime minister is Kristen Michal of the Reform Party. He took the office on 23 July 2024 following the resignation of Kaja Kallas.

The prime minister does not head any specific ministry. Rather, in accordance with the constitution, the prime minister supervises the work of the government. The prime minister's significance and role in the government, and their relations with other ministries, often depend on the position of the party led by the prime minister relative to its coalition partners, and on how much influence the prime minister possesses within one's own party. If the prime minister has a strong position within one's party, and the government is made up solely of representatives of that party, the prime minister can enjoy considerable authority. In all crucial national questions, at least formally, the final word rests with the parliament as the legislative power.

Unlike counterparts in other parliamentary republics, the prime minister of Estonia is both de jure and de facto chief executive. This is because the constitution explicitly vests executive power in the government, of which the prime minister is the leader. In most other parliamentary republics, the president is at least nominal chief executive, while bound by convention to act on the cabinet's advice.

History

After Estonia declared independence from the then warring Russian and German Empires in 1918, the Provisional Government of Estonia was led by a Prime Minister until 1920. The 1920 Constitution set up a head of government whose position called the State Elder (riigivanem) and there was no separate head of state. This system was a radically parliamentary system because the State Elder could be dismissed by the Riigikogu with a simple majority. Moreover, the State Elder was not the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, nor could they ratify laws or dissolve the Riigikogu. The dissolution of Parliament was only possible through a referendum. Under the 1934 Constitution passed by plebiscite, the position of Prime Minister was recreated as head of government in a more presidential system. Under this constitution, the head of state took the name State Elder (riigivanem) identical to the name for the 1920–1934 head of government. The newly established head of state could appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister and Cabinet, veto laws, give decrees (statutes) and dissolve the Riigikogu. The incumbent Prime Minister in duties of the State Elder of Estonia Konstantin Päts, staged a self-coup to counter the threat of the Vaps Movement and suspended the full implementation of the 1934 Constitution, not going ahead with elections for the new head of state and suspending the parliament. Päts remained the Prime Minister in duties of the State Elder 1934–1937, and as President-regent (riigihoidja) for 1937–1938. According to the 1938 Constitution, the position of the Prime Minister was retained, while the head of state was finally renamed the President under a presidential system. The 1992 Constitution after the Soviet occupation reinstated the 1938–1940 positions of Prime Minister and President under a parliamentary system.

List

1918–1920

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"

!width=70 colspan=2 rowspan=2|Portrait

!width=17% rowspan=2|Name

!width=200 colspan=3|Term of office

!rowspan=2|Political party

!rowspan=2|Cabinet

!width=80 rowspan=2|Riigikogu (Election)

!rowspan=2|Separate Head of State

!Took office

!Left office

!Days

!colspan=10|The executive order of the Provisional Government and the Council of Elders of the Provincial Assembly replaced the office of Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

|- bgcolor=#E6E6AA

!rowspan=4 style="background:#99badd;|—

|rowspan=4|70px

|Konstantin Päts (1874–1956) Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Provisional Government

|24 February 1918

|12 November 1918

|rowspan=3|440

|rowspan=3|Country People's Union (EMRL)

|Päts I Provisional EMRL–ETE–EDE–ESDTP

|rowspan=4|Provisional Provincial Assembly (1917)

|bgcolor=white rowspan=46|None

|- bgcolor=#E6E6AA

|rowspan=3|Prime Minister of the Provisional Government

|12 November 1918

|27 November 1918

|Päts II Provisional EMRL–ETE–EDE EMRL–ETE–EDE–ESDTP

|- bgcolor=#E6E6AA

|27 November 1918

|9 May 1919

|Päts III Provisional EMRL–ETE–EDE–ESDTP EMRL–ETE–EDE–ESDTP–SEE EMRL–ETE–EDE–ESDTP–SEE–VKK EMRL–ETE–ERE–ESDTP–SEE–VKK

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=2 style="background:#AACC99;|1

|rowspan=2|70px

|rowspan=2|Otto August Strandman (1875–1941) 1st Prime Minister

|9 May 1919

|18 November 1919

|194

|Labour Party (ETE)

|Strandman I ETE–ESDTP–ERE ETE–ESDTP

|rowspan=10|Constituent Assembly (1919)

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=2 style="background:#AEE8A8;|2

|rowspan=2|70px

|rowspan=2|Jaan Tõnisson (1868–1941?) 2nd Prime Minister

|18 November 1919

|28 July 1920

|254

|People's Party (ERE)

|Tõnisson I ERE–ETE–ESDTP ERE–ETE–(ESDTP)

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=2 style="background:#AEE8A8;|3

|rowspan=2|70px

|rowspan=2|Ado Birk (1883–1942) 3rd Prime Minister

|28 July 1920

|30 July 1920

|People's Party (ERE)

|Birk ERE–ETE–KRE

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=2 style="background:#AEE8A8;|4

|rowspan=2|70px

|rowspan=2|Jaan Tõnisson (1868–1941?) 4th Prime Minister (2nd term)

|30 July 1920

|26 October 1920

|89

|People's Party (ERE)

|Tõnisson II ERE

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=2 style="background:#AACC99;|5

|rowspan=2|70px

|rowspan=2|Ants Piip (1884–1942) 5th Prime Minister

|26 October 1920

|20 December 1920

|92

|Labour Party (ETE)

|Piip ETE

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

!colspan=10|The 1920 Constitution replaced the office with State Elder.

1934–1937

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"

!width=70 colspan=2 rowspan=2|Portrait

!width=17% rowspan=2|Name

!width=200 colspan=3|Term of office

!rowspan=2|Political party

!rowspan=2|Cabinet

!width=80 rowspan=2|Riigikogu (Election)

!rowspan=2|Separate Head of State

!Took office

!Left office

!Days

!colspan=10|The 1934 Constitution divided the office of State Elder between a new office called State Elder and a Prime Minister.

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=3 style="background:gray; color:white"|6

|rowspan=3|70px

|rowspan=3|Konstantin Päts (1874–1956)

6th Prime Minister (in duties of the State Elder)

|rowspan=2|24 January 1934

|rowspan=2|3 September 1937

|rowspan=2|1,319

|Farmers' Assemblies (PK)

|rowspan=2|Päts V non-party coalition

|V (1932)

|rowspan=3 bgcolor=#D3D3D3|Prime Minister in duties of the State Elder Konstantin Päts

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

|None

|bgcolor=white|Parliament suspended

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

!colspan=10|The Amendment Act of the 1938 Constitution temporarily merged the offices of State Elder and Prime Minister into President-Regent.

1938–1944

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"

!width=70 colspan=2 rowspan=2|Portrait

!width=17% rowspan=2|Name

!width=200 colspan=3|Term of office

!rowspan=2|Political party

!rowspan=2|Cabinet

!width=80 rowspan=2|Riigikogu (Election)

!rowspan=2|Separate Head of State

!Took office

!Left office

!Days

!colspan=10|The 1938 Constitution divided the office of President-Regent between a President and a Prime Minister.

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=3 style="background:gray; color:white"|7

|rowspan=3|70px

|bgcolor=#E6E6AA|Kaarel Eenpalu (formerly Karl August Einbund) (1888–1942) Acting Prime Minister

|bgcolor=#E6E6AA|24 April 1938

|bgcolor=#E6E6AA|9 May 1938

|rowspan=2|537

|rowspan=2|None

|rowspan=5 bgcolor=#D3D3D3|President Konstantin Päts (1938–1940)

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

|rowspan=2|7th Prime Minister (2nd term)

|9 May 1938

|12 October 1939

|Eenpalu II non-party coalition

|rowspan=4|VI (1938)

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=2 style="background:gray; color:white"|8

|rowspan=2|70px

|rowspan=2|Jüri Uluots (1890–1945) 8th Prime Minister

|12 October 1939

|21 June 1940

|254

|None

|25 September 1944

|None

|Tief non-party coalition

|rowspan=2 bgcolor=white|Parliament disbanded

|rowspan=2 bgcolor=#D3D3D3|Prime Minister in duties of the President Jüri Uluots

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

!colspan=10|2nd Soviet Occupation (See )

1990–present

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; width:100%; border:1px #AAAAFF solid"

!width=70 colspan=2 rowspan=2|Portrait

!width=17% rowspan=2|Name

!width=200 colspan=3|Term of office

!rowspan=2|Political party

!rowspan=2|Cabinet

!width=80 rowspan=2|Riigikogu (Election)

!rowspan=2|Separate Head of State

!Took office

!Left office

!Days

!colspan=10|2nd Soviet Occupation (See Estonian Government in Exile)

|- bgcolor=#E6E6AA

!rowspan=3 style="background:; color:white"|—

|rowspan=3|70px

|rowspan=3|Edgar Savisaar (1950–2022) 1st Prime Minister of the Interim Government

|rowspan=2|3 April 1990

|rowspan=2|29 January 1992

|rowspan=2|668

|rowspan=2|Popular Front of Estonia (<abbr title="Rahvarinne">RR</abbr>) Estonian People's Centre Party (ERKE)

|rowspan=2|Savisaar Interim various coalition partners

|rowspan=6|Supreme Soviet (1990)

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#E6E6AA style="height:12ex"

!rowspan=3 style="background:;"|—

|rowspan=3|70px

|rowspan=3|Tiit Vähi (born 1947) 2nd Prime Minister of the Interim Government

|rowspan=2|29 January 1992

|rowspan=2|21 October 1992

|rowspan=2|266

|rowspan=2|None

|rowspan=2|Vähi Interim various coalition partners

|bgcolor=lightsteelblue rowspan=12|President Lennart Georg Meri (1992–2001)

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=2 style="background:; color:white"|9

|rowspan=2|70px

|rowspan=2|Mart Laar (born 1960) 9th Prime Minister

|21 October 1992

|8 November 1994

|749

|Pro Patria (I) Pro Patria National Coalition Party (RKEI)

|Laar I

I–M–ERSP RKEI–M–ERSP RKEI–M–ERSP–ELDP RKEI–M–ERSP–(ELDP) RKEI–M–ERSP–ELDP

|rowspan=4|VII (1992)

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

! rowspan=2 style="background:; color:white"|10

|rowspan=2|70px

|rowspan=2|Andres Tarand (born 1940) 10th Prime Minister

|8 November 1994

|17 April 1995

|161

|Moderates (M)

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=2 style="background:; color:white"|12

|rowspan=2|70px

|rowspan=2|Mart Siimann (born 1946) 12th Prime Minister

|17 March 1997

|25 March 1999

|739

|Coalition Party and Country People's Alliance (KMÜ)

|Siimann KMÜ–AP

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE style="height:6ex"

!rowspan=3 style="background:; color:white"|13

|rowspan=3|70px

|rowspan=3|Mart Laar (born 1960) 13th Prime Minister (2nd term)

|rowspan=2|25 March 1999

|rowspan=2|28 January 2002

|rowspan=2|1,041

|rowspan=2|Pro Patria Union (IL)

|rowspan=2|Laar II IL–M–REF

|rowspan=5|IX (1999)

|bgcolor=#FF9900 rowspan=7|President Arnold Rüütel (2001–2006)

|XI (2007)

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

|6 April 2011

|26 March 2014

|Ansip III REF–IRL

|rowspan=3|XII (2011)

|colspan="5" style="text-align:left;"|

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=3 style="background:;"|17

|rowspan=3|70px

|rowspan=3|Taavi Rõivas (born 1979) 17th Prime Minister

|26 March 2014

|9 April 2015

|rowspan=3|

|rowspan=3|Reform Party (REF)

|Rõivas I REF–SDE

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE style="height:6ex"

|rowspan=2|9 April 2015

|rowspan=2|23 November 2016

|rowspan=2|Rõivas II REF–SDE–IRL

|rowspan=3|XIII (2015)

|bgcolor=#D3D3D3 rowspan=4|President Kersti Kaljulaid (2016–2021)

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

! rowspan="2" style="background:; color:white"|18

| rowspan="2" |70px

|rowspan="2" |Jüri Ratas (born 1978) 18th Prime Minister

|23 November 2016

|29 April 2019

|rowspan="2" |

|rowspan="2" |Centre Party (KE)

|Ratas I KE–SDE–IRL KE–SDE–I

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

|29 April 2019

|26 January 2021

| |Ratas II KE–EKRE–I

|rowspan=4|XIV (2019)

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE style="height:6ex"

!rowspan=4 style="background:;"|19

|rowspan=4|70px

|rowspan=4|Kaja Kallas (born 1977) 19th Prime Minister

|rowspan=2|26 January 2021

|rowspan=2|14 July 2022

|rowspan=4|

|rowspan=4|Reform Party (REF)

|rowspan=2|K. Kallas I REF–KE REF

|bgcolor=#D3D3D3 rowspan=4|President Alar Karis (2021–)

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

|18 July 2022

|17 April 2023

|K. Kallas II REF–SDE–I

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

|17 April 2023

|23 July 2024

|K. Kallas III REF–E200–SDE

|rowspan=2|XV (2023)

|- bgcolor=#EEEEEE

!rowspan=1 style="background:;"|20

|rowspan=1|70px

|rowspan=1|Kristen Michal (born 1975) 20th Prime Minister

|23 July 2024

|Incumbent

|rowspan=1|

|rowspan=1|Reform Party (REF)

|Michal REF–E200–SDE

Prime Minister of Estonia

History

List

1918–1920

1934–1937

1938–1944

1990–present

Timeline

See also

Notes

References