Prime Minister of Estonia

The prime minister of Estonia (Template:Langx) 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, he or she is 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 his or her 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 he or she ratify laws or dissolve the Riigikogu. The dissolution of Parliament was only possible through a referendum.<ref>(Seppo Zetterberg, "A History of Estonia" / Viron historia. 3rd edition. Helsinki: The Finnish Literary Society / Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 2007, pages 524–525)</ref> 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.<ref>(Zetterberg 2007, pages 558–559)</ref> 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

Portrait		Name	Term of office			Political party	Cabinet	Riigikogu (Election)	Separate Head of State
			Took office	Left office	Days
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.
—	File:Konstantin Päts.jpg	Konstantin Päts (1874–1956) Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Provisional Government	24 February 1918	12 November 1918	440	Country People's Union (EMRL)	Päts I Provisional EMRL–ETE–EDE–ESDTP	Provisional Provincial Assembly (1917)	None
		Prime Minister of the Provisional Government	12 November 1918	27 November 1918			Päts II Provisional EMRL–ETE–EDE EMRL–ETE–EDE–ESDTP <ref group="Note">The Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party (ESDTP) joined the coalition on 16 November 1918.</ref>
			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 <ref group="Note">The German Party in Estonia (SEE) joined the coalition on 28 November 1918. The Russian Citizens' Assembly (VKK) joined the coalition on 28 February 1919. The Estonian Democratic Party (EDE) merged with the Estonian Radical Democratic Party (ERDE) to form the Estonian People's Party (ERE) on 1 March 1919 and the new party remained in the government.</ref>
1	File:Prime minister Otto Strandman.jpg	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 <ref group="Note">The Estonian People's Party (ERE) left the coalition on 20 September 1919.</ref>	Constituent Assembly (1919)
2	File:Jaan Tonisson1928.jpg	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) <ref group="Note">The Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party (ESDTP) left the coalition on 1 July 1920, but its ministers remained in office.</ref>
3	File:Ado Birk (cropped).jpg	Ado Birk (1883–1942) 3rd Prime Minister	28 July 1920	30 July 1920	3	People's Party (ERE)	Birk ERE–ETE–KRE
4	File:Jaan Tonisson1928.jpg	Jaan Tõnisson (1868–1941?) 4th Prime Minister (2nd term)	30 July 1920	26 October 1920	89	People's Party (ERE)	Tõnisson II ERE
5	File:Ants Piip, 1923.jpg	Ants Piip (1884–1942) 5th Prime Minister	26 October 1920	20 December 1920	92	Labour Party (ETE)	Piip ETE
The 1920 Constitution replaced the office with State Elder.

1934–1937

Portrait		Name	Term of office			Political party	Cabinet	Riigikogu (Election)	Separate Head of State
			Took office	Left office	Days
The 1934 Constitution divided the office of State Elder between a new office called State Elder and a Prime Minister.
6	File:Konstantin Päts.jpg	Konstantin Päts (1874–1956) 6th Prime Minister (in duties of the State Elder)	24 January 1934	3 September 1937	1,319	Farmers' Assemblies (PK) <ref group="Note">All political parties were banned on 20 March 1935.</ref>	Päts V non-party coalition <ref group="Note" name="Päts V">Although Konstantin Päts resigned as President-Regent on 24 April 1938 to become the President on the same day, his cabinet remained temporarily in office until 9 May 1938, headed by acting Prime Minister Kaarel Eenpalu.</ref>	V (1932)	Prime Minister in duties of the State Elder Konstantin Päts
						None <ref group="Note" name="Patriotic League">Was member of the Patriotic League which was the only sanctioned political organization, but which cannot be considered a political party per se.</ref>		Parliament suspended <ref group="Note">The "Era of Silence" began with Konstantin Päts' self-coup on 12 March 1934. The Riigikogu approved of the coup retroactively on 15 March 1934. The Riigikogu was thereafter not convened after 2 October 1934. It was officially disbanded on 1 January 1938.</ref>
The Amendment Act of the 1938 Constitution temporarily merged the offices of State Elder and Prime Minister into President-Regent.

1938–1944

Portrait		Name	Term of office			Political party	Cabinet	Riigikogu (Election)	Separate Head of State
			Took office	Left office	Days
The 1938 Constitution divided the office of President-Regent between a President and a Prime Minister.
7	File:Kaarel Eenpalu.jpg	Kaarel Eenpalu (formerly Karl August Einbund) (1888–1942) Acting Prime Minister	24 April 1938	9 May 1938	537	None <ref group="Note" name="Patriotic League"/>	Päts V (continued) non-party coalition <ref group="Note" name="Päts V"/>	Parliament suspended <ref group="Note">The "Era of Silence" began with Konstantin Päts' self-coup on 12 March 1934. The Riigikogu approved of the coup retroactively on 15 March 1934. The Riigikogu was thereafter not convened after 2 October 1934. It was officially disbanded on 1 January 1938.</ref>	President Konstantin Päts (1938–1940)
		7th Prime Minister (2nd term)	9 May 1938	12 October 1939			Eenpalu II non-party coalition <ref group="Note" name="Einbund">As Karl August Einbund Estonianized his name into Kaarel Eenpalu, his two cabinets are therefore known as Einbund I and Eenpalu II cabinets.</ref>	VI (1938)
8	File:Jüri Uluots.jpg	Jüri Uluots (1890–1945) 8th Prime Minister	12 October 1939	21 June 1940 <ref group="Note">The Soviet Union occupied Estonia on 17 June 1940. The Soviet regime staged a pro-Soviet coup d'état on 21 June 1940, replacing the Jüri Uluots cabinet with that of Johannes Vares. The Republic of Estonia does not consider the Johannes Vares cabinet a legal government of Estonia and considers the Jüri Uluots cabinet to have legally remained in office until 18 September 1944.</ref>	254	None <ref group="Note" name="Patriotic League"/>	Uluots non-party coalition
1st Soviet Occupation (1940–1941)
German Occupation (1941–1944)
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color;"|—	File:Otto Tief.jpg	Otto Tief (1889–1976) Acting Prime Minister	18 September 1944 <ref group="Note">Prime Minister in the duties of the President Jüri Uluots appointed a new government after the departure of German forces, hoping to restore Estonian independence before the arrival of Soviet forces.</ref>	25 September 1944 <ref group="Note">The Soviet Union occupied Estonia on 17 June 1940. The Soviet regime staged a pro-Soviet coup d'état on 21 June 1940, replacing the Jüri Uluots cabinet with that of Johannes Vares. The Republic of Estonia does not consider the Johannes Vares cabinet a legal government of Estonia and considers the Jüri Uluots cabinet to have legally remained in office until 18 September 1944.</ref>	8	None	Tief non-party coalition	Parliament disbanded	Prime Minister in duties of the President Jüri Uluots <ref group="Note">The legal Prime Minister Jüri Uluots assumed the role of Prime Minister in the duties of the President on 18 September 1944, after the departure of German forces and before the arrival of Soviet forces.</ref>
2nd Soviet Occupation (See Template:Section link)

1990–present

Portrait		Name	Term of office			Political party	Cabinet	Riigikogu (Election)	Separate Head of State
			Took office	Left office	Days
2nd Soviet Occupation (See Estonian Government in Exile)
rowspan=3 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white"|—	File:RK Edgar Savisaar.jpg	Edgar Savisaar (1950–2022) 1st Prime Minister of the Interim Government	3 April 1990 <ref group="Note">The Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR on 30 March 1990 declared Soviet rule to have been illegal since 1940 and declared a transition period for full independence. Full independence was restored on 20 August 1991.</ref>	29 January 1992	668	Popular Front of Estonia (RR) <ref group="Note" >The Popular Front of Estonia formed the Estonian People's Centre Party on 12 October 1991.</ref> Estonian People's Centre Party (ERKE)	Savisaar Interim various coalition partners	Supreme Soviet (1990) <ref group="Note" name="Supreme Soviet"/>	Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
Chairman of the Supreme Council Arnold Rüütel <ref group="Note" name="Supreme Soviet">The "Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic" was renamed the "Republic of Estonia" on 8 May 1990 and thus the translation of the Ülemnõukogu was changed from "Supreme Soviet" to "Supreme Council".</ref>
	rowspan=3 style="background:Template:Party color;"|—	File:Tiit Vähi teisel Arvamusfestivalil Narvas.jpg	Tiit Vähi (born 1947) 2nd Prime Minister of the Interim Government	29 January 1992	21 October 1992	266	None		Vähi Interim various coalition partners
President Lennart Georg Meri (1992–2001) <ref group="Note" name="President">President left the party upon assuming office.</ref>
	rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white"|9	File:Mart Laar.png	Mart Laar (born 1960) 9th Prime Minister	21 October 1992	8 November 1994	749	Pro Patria (I) <ref group="Note" >The electoral alliance "Pro Patria" formed the Pro Patria National Coalition Party on 21 November 1992.</ref> 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 <ref group="Note" name="Moderates">The electoral alliance "Moderates" (M) consisted of the Social Democratic Party (ESDP) and the Estonian Rural Centre Party (EMKE).</ref> <ref group="Note" >The Estonian Liberal Democratic Party (ELDP) joined the coalition on 11 January 1994. Its ministers resigned on 21 June 1994, but the party decided to remain in the coalition and named a minister on 27 June 1994.</ref>	VII (1992)
	rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white"|10	File:Andres Tarand 12.4.2012.jpg	Andres Tarand (born 1940) 10th Prime Minister	8 November 1994	17 April 1995	161	Moderates (M) <ref group="Note" name="Moderates"/>	Tarand M–RKEI–ERSP–ELDP–VKRE <ref group="Note" name="Moderates"/>
	rowspan=3 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white"|11	File:Tiit Vähi teisel Arvamusfestivalil Narvas.jpg	Tiit Vähi (born 1947) 11th Prime Minister (2nd term)	17 April 1995	6 November 1995	701	Coalition Party and Country People's Alliance (KMÜ)	Vähi I KMÜ–KE	VIII (1995)
	6 November 1995			17 March 1997	Vähi II KMÜ–REF KMÜ KMÜ–AP <ref group="Note">The Estonian Reform Party (REF) left the coalition on 1 December 1996. The Progress Party (AP) joined the coalition on 9 December 1996.</ref>
	rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white"|12	File:Siimann Mart.IMG 2960.JPG	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
	rowspan=3 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white"|13	File:Mart Laar.png	Mart Laar (born 1960) 13th Prime Minister (2nd term)	25 March 1999	28 January 2002	1,041	Pro Patria Union (IL)	Laar II IL–M–REF	IX (1999)
President Arnold Rüütel (2001–2006) <ref group="Note" name="President"/>
	rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color;"|14	File:Kallas Siim.IMG 3350.JPG	Siim Kallas (born 1948) 14th Prime Minister	28 January 2002	10 April 2003	438	Reform Party (REF)	S. Kallas REF–KE
	rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white"|15	File:Juhan-Parts.jpg	Juhan Parts (born 1966) 15th Prime Minister	10 April 2003	12 April 2005	735	Res Publica Party (RES)	Parts RES–REF–RL	X (2003)
	rowspan=5 style="background:Template:Party color;"|16	File:Portrait Andrus Ansip.jpg	Andrus Ansip (born 1956) 16th Prime Minister	12 April 2005	5 April 2007	3,271	Reform Party (REF)	Ansip I REF–KE–RL
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves (2006–2016) <ref group="Note" name="President"/>
	5 April 2007			6 April 2011	Ansip II REF–IRL–SDE REF–IRL <ref group="Note">The Social Democratic Party (SDE) left the coalition on 21 May 2009.</ref>			XI (2007)
	6 April 2011			26 March 2014	Ansip III REF–IRL			XII (2011)
	rowspan=3 style="background:Template:Party color;"|17	File:RE Taavi Rõivas.jpg	Taavi Rõivas (born 1979) 17th Prime Minister	26 March 2014	9 April 2015	Template:Age in days	Reform Party (REF)		Rõivas I REF–SDE
	9 April 2015			23 November 2016	Rõivas II REF–SDE–IRL			XIII (2015)
President Kersti Kaljulaid (2016–2021)
	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color; color:white"|18	File:Jüri Ratas 2017-05-25 (cropped).jpg	Jüri Ratas (born 1978) 18th Prime Minister	23 November 2016	29 April 2019	Template:Age in days	Centre Party (KE)		Ratas I KE–SDE–IRL KE–SDE–I <ref group="Note">The Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica was renamed Party Pro Patria on 2 June 2018.</ref>
	29 April 2019			26 January 2021	Ratas II KE–EKRE–I			XIV (2019)
	rowspan=4 style="background:Template:Party color;"|19	File:Kaja Kallas (crop).jpg	Kaja Kallas (born 1977) 19th Prime Minister	26 January 2021	14 July 2022	Template:Age in days	Reform Party (REF)		K. Kallas I REF–KE REF <ref group="Note">The Centre Party left the coalition on 3 June 2022.</ref>
President Alar Karis (2021–)
	18 July 2022			17 April 2023	K. Kallas II REF–SDE–I
	17 April 2023			23 July 2024	K. Kallas III REF–E200–SDE			XV (2023)
	rowspan=1 style="background:Template:Party color;"|20	File:Kristen Michal in 2024 (cropped).jpg	Kristen Michal (born 1975) 20th Prime Minister	23 July 2024	Incumbent	Template:Age in days	Reform Party (REF)		Michal REF–E200–SDE

Timeline

<timeline>ImageSize=width:1150 height:auto barincrement:14 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:100 right:150 left:20 AlignBars = late

Colors =

id:ind         value:gray(0.8)          legend:Independent
id:EMRL        value:rgb(0.6,0.73,0.87) legend:Country_People's_Union
id:ETE         value:rgb(0.667,0.8,0.6) legend:Labour_Party
id:ERE         value:rgb(0.68,0.9,0.66) legend:People's_Party
id:PK          value:rgb(0.043,0.631,0) legend:Farmer's_Assemblies
id:RR          value:rgb(0,0.286,0.741) legend:Popular_Front_of_Estonia
id:KE          value:rgb(0,0.5,0)       legend:Estonian_People's_Centre_Party
id:I	 value:blue	            legend:Pro_Patria
id:M    value:rgb(0.8,0.2,0.2) legend:Moderates
id:KMÜ  value:rgb(1,0.6,0.2)   legend:Coalition
id:ER   value:yellow	        legend:Reform
id:RP   value:rgb(0,0.5,0.5)   legend:Res_Publica
id:liteline    value:gray(0.8)
id:line        value:rgb(0.3,0.3,0.3)
id:bg          value:white

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1918 till:31/12/{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+1}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:6 start:1918 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1918

Legend = columns:1 left:110 top:57 columnwidth:220

Define $now = {{#time:d/m/Y|-3 hours}}

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 pos:(20,57) textcolor:black fontsize:s
 text:"Political Affiliation:"

BarData =

bar:Pats
bar:Strandman
bar:Tonisson
bar:Birk
bar:Piip
bar:Eenpalu
bar:Uluots
bar:Tief
bar:Savisaar
bar:Vähi
bar:Laar
bar:Tarand
bar:Siimann
bar:SKallas
bar:Parts
bar:Ansip
bar:Rõivas
bar:Ratas
bar:KKallas
bar:Michal

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 width:5 align:left fontsize:s shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Pats
 from: 24/02/1918 till: 09/05/1919 color:EMRL
 from: 24/01/1934 till: 20/03/1935 color:PK
 from: 20/03/1935 till: 03/09/1937 color:Ind  text:"Konstantin Päts"
bar:Strandman
 from: 09/05/1919 till: 18/11/1919 color:ETE  text:"Otto August Strandman"
bar:Tonisson
 from: 18/11/1919 till: 28/07/1920 color:ERE
 from: 30/07/1920 till: 26/10/1920 color:ERE  text:"Jaan Tõnisson"
bar:Birk
 from: 28/07/1920 till: 30/07/1920 color:ERE  text:"Ado Birk"
bar:Piip
 from: 26/10/1920 till: 20/12/1920 color:ETE  text:"Ants Piip"
bar:Eenpalu
 from: 24/04/1938 till: 12/10/1939 color:Ind  text:"Kaarel Eenpalu"
bar:Uluots 
 from: 12/10/1939 till: 21/06/1940 color:Ind  text:"Jüri Uluots"
bar:Tief
 from: 18/09/1944 till: 25/09/1944 color:Ind  text:"Otto Tief"
bar:Savisaar
 from: 03/04/1990 till: 12/10/1991 color:RR
 from: 12/10/1991 till: 29/01/1992 color:KE   text:Edgar Savisaar
bar:Vähi
 from: 29/01/1992 till:21/10/1992 color:IND 
 from: 17/04/1995 till:17/03/1997 color:KMÜ   text:Tiit Vähi
bar:Laar
 from: 21/10/1992 till:08/11/1994 color:I 
 from: 25/03/1999 till:28/01/2002 color:I     text:Mart Laar
bar:Tarand
 from:08/11/1994 till:17/04/1995 color:M      text:Andres Tarand
bar:Siimann
 from:17/03/1997 till:25/03/1999 color:KMÜ    text:Mart Siimann
bar:SKallas
 from:28/01/2002 till:10/04/2003 color:ER     text:Siim Kallas
bar:Parts
 from:10/04/2003 till:12/04/2005 color:RP     text:Juhan Parts
bar:Ansip
 from:12/04/2005 till:26/03/2014 color:ER     text:Andrus Ansip
bar:Rõivas
 from:26/03/2014 till:23/11/2016 color:ER     text:Taavi Rõivas
bar:Ratas
 from:23/11/2016 till:26/01/2021 color:KE     text:Jüri Ratas
bar:KKallas
 from:26/01/2021 till:23/07/2024 color:ER     text:Kaja Kallas
bar:Michal
 from:23/07/2024 till:{{#time: d/m/Y }}   color:ER     text:Kristen Michal

</timeline>

See also

• List of heads of government of Estonia
  • List of heads of government-in-exile
• President of Estonia