Merry Aart (born 31 March 1953 in Elva) is an Estonian politician. She is a member of the XIV Riigikogu. [1]
In 1982 she graduated from Estonian University of Life Sciences in zoological engineering. [1]
1994-1999 she was the president of Estonian Association of Rural Consultants. [1]
Since 2013 she is a member of Conservative People's Party of Estonia. [1]
Politics in Estonia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in the Estonian parliament. Executive power is exercised by the government, which is led by the prime minister. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Estonia is a member of the United Nations, the European Union, and NATO.
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 Kaja Kallas of the Reform Party. She took the office on 26 January 2021 following the resignation of Jüri Ratas.
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the Prime Minister and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and elects the President. Among its other tasks, the Riigikogu also ratifies significant foreign treaties that impose military and proprietary obligations and bring about changes in law, as well as approves the budget presented by the government as law, and monitors the executive power.
Estonia elects a legislature on the national level. The Riigikogu has 101 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation. A head of state – the president – is elected for a five-year term by parliament or an electoral college. Locally, Estonia elects local government councils, which vary in size. Election law states the minimum size of a council depending on the size of municipality. Local government councils are elected by proportional representation too.
The president of the Republic of Estonia is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia. The current president is Alar Karis, elected by Parliament on 31 August 2021, replacing Kersti Kaljulaid.
Ene Ergma is an Estonian politician, a member of the Riigikogu, and scientist. She was a member of the political party Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica and, before the two parties merged, a member of Res Publica Party. On 1 June 2016, Ergma announced her resignation from the party, because the party had lost its identity and turned populist.
The Supreme Court of Estonia is the court of last resort in Estonia. It is both a court of cassation and a constitutional court. The courthouse is in Tartu.
Vilja Toomast is an Estonian politician, a former Member of the European Parliament. She previously belonged to the Estonian Centre Party which she decided to leave on 9 April 2012.
According to the Constitution of Estonia, the supreme power of the state is vested in the people. The people exercise their supreme power of the state on the elections of the Riigikogu through citizens who have the right to vote. The supreme judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court or Riigikohus, with 17 justices. The Chief Justice is appointed by the parliament for nine years on nomination by the president.
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 1 March 2015. Advance voting was held between 19 and 25 February with a turnout of 33 percent. The Reform Party remained the largest in the Riigikogu, winning 30 of the 101 seats. Its leader, Taavi Rõivas, remained Prime Minister. The newly elected 101 members of the 13th Riigikogu assembled at Toompea Castle in Tallinn within ten days of the election.
An indirect election took place in Estonia in 2016 to elect the president of Estonia, who is the country's head of state. The Riigikogu — the Parliament of Estonia — elected Kersti Kaljulaid to be the next head of state of Estonia to succeed Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who had served his second and final term as president. Kaljulaid is the first female head of state of Estonia.
Kersti Kaljulaid is an Estonian politician who served as the fifth president of Estonia between 2016 and 2021. She was also the first and only female head of state of Estonia since the country declared independence in 1918, as well as the youngest president, aged 46 at the time of her election.
Ülle Aaskivi was an Estonian lawyer, politician, and public official. Aaskivi was elected a member of the Estonian Supreme Soviet in 1990 and the Estonian Constitutional Assembly, as well as one of the ratifiers of the Constitution of Estonia who voted for the Estonian restoration of Independence. She was elected to the Riigikogu for the Social Democratic Party of Estonia.
Liia Hänni is an Estonian astrophysicist, social activist and former politician who voted for the Estonian restoration of Independence.
Tiina Lokk-Tramberg is an Estonian filmmaker, film teacher and politician, who was a member of the Riigikogu from 2012 to 2015, representing the Estonian Reform Party.
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 5 March 2023 to elect all 101 members of the Riigikogu. The Estonian Centre Party, led by Jüri Ratas, formed a government after the 2019 parliamentary election, with Ratas serving as prime minister. His government was brought down in January 2021 after a corruption investigation; Kaja Kallas of the Estonian Reform Party formed a coalition government with the Centre Party afterward, although it 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.
An indirect election took place in Estonia on 30 and 31 August 2021 to elect the president of Estonia, who is the country's head of state. The Riigikogu — the Parliament of Estonia — elected Alar Karis to serve in the office and he was sworn in as the 6th president on 11 October 2021. The incumbent, Kersti Kaljulaid, was eligible to seek reelection to a second, and final, term but failed to gain the endorsement of at least 21 MPs, which is required in order for a candidate to register, as she was outspoken against some of the policies of the government, who thus denied her support.
Heidy Purga is an Estonian radio and television presenter, television director, journalist and politician. She has been a member of the XIII Riigikogu and XIV Riigikogu.
Inara Luigas is an Estonian politician. She has been a member of the X Riigikogu, XI Riigikogu, XII Riigikogu and XIII Riigikogu.
Õnne Pillak is an Estonian politician, representing the Estonian Reform Party since 2001. On 27 January 2021, she became a member of the XIV Riigikogu.