Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 5 March 2023 to elect all 101 members of the Riigikogu. The officially published election data indicate the victory of the Reform Party, which won 37 seats in total, while the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) placed second with 17 seats. The Centre Party won 16 seats, a loss of 10, while Estonia 200 won 14 seats, gaining representation in the Riigikogu.

Quick Facts All 101 seats in the Riigikogu 51 seats needed for a majority, Turnout ...

2023 Estonian parliamentary election

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All 101 seats in the Riigikogu 51 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout	63.53% ( 0.14% pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Kaja Kallas Martin Helme Jüri Ratas Party Reform EKRE Centre Last election 28.93%, 34 seats 17.76%, 19 seats 23.10%, 26 seats Seats won 37 17 16 Seat change 3 2 10 Popular vote 190,659 97,959 93,243 Percentage 31.24% 16.05% 15.28% Swing 2.31 pp 1.71 pp 7.28 pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Lauri Hussar Lauri Läänemets Helir-Valdor Seeder Party E200 SDE Isamaa Last election 4.36%, 0 seats 9.83%, 10 seats 11.44%, 12 seats Seats won 14 9 8 Seat change 14 1 4 Popular vote 81,347 56,578 50,114 Percentage 13.33% 9.27% 8.21% Swing 8.97 pp 0.56 pp 3.23 pp
Distribution of seats and the most voted-for party by constituency
Prime Minister before election Kaja Kallas Reform Prime Minister after election Kaja Kallas Reform

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After the previous parliamentary election in 2019, the Centre Party, led by Jüri Ratas, formed a government with Ratas serving as prime minister. His government was brought down in January 2021 after a corruption investigation, and Kaja Kallas of the Reform Party formed a coalition government with the Centre Party, which collapsed in June 2022. Kallas then formed a government with Isamaa and the Social Democratic Party and remained in the position of prime minister.

In January 2023, the National Electoral Committee announced that nine political parties and ten individual candidates had registered to take part in the 2023 parliamentary election. During the campaign period, issues discussed most extensively regarded the Estonian economy, and the country's national defence and security due to the current Russian invasion of Ukraine. Individuals from contesting political parties also participated in multiple organised debates in January and February 2023. Voting at foreign embassies for Estonians outside the country took place from 18 to 23 February, while Estonian residents could vote during the pre-election period from 27 February to 4 March.

These were the first national elections where more than half of the votes were cast electronically over the Internet. Following the election, EKRE submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court of Estonia, requesting that the results be annulled and claiming that "anomalies and technical errors in the e-voting process had been observed", though the appeal was later dismissed. Reform successfully negotiated afterward with the Social Democratic Party and Estonia 200, forming a government headed by Kallas in April.

The previous parliamentary election, which was held in March 2019, saw the loss of the absolute majority held by Jüri Ratas's first cabinet in the Riigikogu, the unicameral parliament of Estonia. Ratas's Centre Party, Isamaa, and Social Democratic Party (SDE) all suffered a setback in favour of the Reform Party, led by Kallas, and the EKRE.^[1] Kersti Kaljulaid, then-president of Estonia, gave a mandate to Kallas to form a government after the election.^[2] The Reform Party negotiated with the Centre Party, Isamaa, and SDE but ultimately failed to form a government.^[3][4][5] After the vote in April 2019, Ratas received the mandate and successfully formed a government with Isamaa and EKRE.^[6] Jüri Ratas's second cabinet was sworn in on 29 April 2019.^[7][8]

In January 2021, the Centre Party-led government collapsed after a corruption investigation in which the Centre Party was accused of requesting financial support of up to €1 million within a year in return of the €39 million loan to Hillar Teder's real estate development in Tallinn.^[9] In response, Ratas resigned as prime minister of Estonia, while Kallas was invited to form a government.^[10] She struck a deal with the Centre Party, with Kallas now serving as prime minister.^[11] In June 2022, however, the coalition government between the Centre and Reform Party collapsed due to the Centre Party's opposition to a law on education.^[12] This occurred during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine; the Centre Party was seen as close to Russians in Estonia.^[12] In response, Kallas opened Triple Alliance negotiations with Isamaa and SDE, successfully forming Kaja Kallas's second cabinet on 15 July 2022.^[13][14]

The Riigikogu is made up of 101 seats and its representatives are elected by proportional representation in twelve multi-member constituencies.^[15] First, seats are to be filled in 12 constituencies of 5 to 16 seats depending on their population, and the remaining seats, known as "compensation seats", are allocated using the d'Hondt method to all parties that exceeded the 5% electoral threshold, to bring the results in terms of seats as close as possible to those of the vote of the population.^[16][17] In 2023, 75 seats were filled in the constituencies and the remaining 26 were allocated using the d'Hondt method. Voters have the possibility of casting a preferential vote for one of the candidates on the list for which they are voting.^[16][17] If a candidate collects more preferential votes than the amount of the simple quotient in his constituency, they are declared elected even if the list for which they are candidate for fails to cross the 5% electoral threshold.^[16][17]

In November 2022, Alar Karis, the president of Estonia, signed the election decree, setting the date for 5 March 2023.^[18] Estonian citizens who are at least 18 years old, are registered in the voting list, have not been declared incapacitated or convicted of a crime by a court, or are serving a prison sentence have the right to vote.^[19][20] In foreign embassies abroad, voting took place from 18 to 23 February 2023, while to vote by mail in foreign countries, the voter had to submit a written request to the foreign mission by 3 February 2023.^[19][21] Advance voting in Estonia took place from 27 February to 4 March, meaning that a voter could vote outside the electoral district of their residence and electronically.^[19][21] Unlike in previous elections, on 5 March voters were able to vote in any precinct within the constituency, while voters who had voted electronically during the advance voting were able to vote on a paper ballot, although their electronic vote would be cancelled.^[19][21] Citizens who were not able to go to the polling stations or to vote electronically could order a ballot box at home and vote between 3 and 5 March 2023.^[19][21] Around eighty foreign observers monitored the election.^[22]

The Estonian National Electoral Committee announced that nine political parties and ten individual candidates registered to take part in the 2023 parliamentary election. Their registration numbers and order were determined by a draw of lots.^[25][26][27]

Voting at Estonian embassies abroad took place between 18 and 23 February 2023.^[65] The National Electoral Committee had announced that 47.3% of voters cast their ballot during the pre-election period, which began on 27 February and ended before 5 March, a majority of whom voted online.^[65][66][67] Voting stations on 5 March 2023 were opened from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.^[68][69] There were 966,129 citizens that had the right to vote in the election.^[70]

The turnout progressed towards 63% by 7:00 pm according to Eesti Rahvusringhääling, with the highest turnout being in the Rapla County and the lowest in the Ida-Viru County.^[71] With 312,181 electronic votes, these were the first elections where more than half of votes were cast online.^[72] Later that day, Eesti Rahvusringhääling, Reuters, and the Associated Press reported that the Reform Party won the most votes and seats in the Riigikogu, with EKRE placing second and the Centre Party placing third.^[38][73][74] Additionally, Eesti Rahvusringhääling reported that Estonia 200 would enter the Riigikogu for the first time since its formation.^[73][75]

Tanel Kiik, the vice-chair of the Centre Party, had said that "the Centre Party would be satisfied if it were to get 20 seats" in the Riigikogu, while Sven Mikser, the former chairman of the SDE, said that "nine mandates is probably the best the party can do in Estonia today".^[78] Ratas later described the results as "mediocre".^[78] After the publication of e-vote results, Kallas gave a speech and thanked her voters.^[78][79] Kallas was congratulated by Sanna Marin, the prime minister of Finland, and Krišjānis Kariņš, the prime minister of Latvia.^[80][81]

Martin Helme, the leader of EKRE, stated that "he does not trust the e-vote results" and demanded a recount.^[78][79] On 9 March 2023, EKRE made an appeal to the Supreme Court of Estonia, requesting the results to be annulled and claiming that "several anomalies and technical errors in the e-voting process had been observed".^[82] Lawyer Paul Keres of EKRE also claimed that the e-voting process is unconstitutional.^[83] This case was dismissed on 13 March.^[84]

• Members of the 15th Riigikogu