Prime Minister of Estonia

The Prime Minister of Estonia (Estonian: peaminister, literally Main Minister or Head Minister) is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Parliament.

Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia Eesti Vabariigi peaminister
Coat of Arms of Estonia
Incumbent Kristen Michal since 23 July 2024
Member of	European Council
Residence	Stenbock House, Tallinn
Appointer	President of Estonia
Term length	No term limits. Parliamentary elections held every four years.
Inaugural holder	Konstantin Päts
Formation	24 February 1918
Salary	€5,288 monthly[1]
Website	http://valitsus.ee/

The current Prime Minister is Kristen Michal of the Reform Party.

List of prime ministers (since 1990)

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)
—		Edgar Savisaar (1950–2022) 1st Prime Minister of the Interim Government	3 April 1990 [Note 1]	29 January 1992	668	Popular Front of Estonia (RR) [Note 2] Estonian People's Centre Party (ERKE)	Savisaar Interim various coalition partners	Supreme Soviet (1990) [Note 3]	Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
									Chairman of the Supreme Council Arnold Rüütel [Note 3]
—		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) [Note 4]
9		Mart Laar (born 1960) 9th Prime Minister	21 October 1992	8 November 1994	749	Pro Patria (I) [Note 5] 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 [Note 6] [Note 7]	VII (1992)
10		Andres Tarand (born 1940) 10th Prime Minister	8 November 1994	17 April 1995	161	Moderates (M) [Note 6]	Tarand M–RKEI–ERSP–ELDP–VKRE [Note 6]
11		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 [Note 8]
12		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
13		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) [Note 4]
14		Siim Kallas (born 1948) 14th Prime Minister	28 January 2002	10 April 2003	438	Reform Party (REF)	S. Kallas REF–KE
15		Juhan Parts (born 1966) 15th Prime Minister	10 April 2003	12 April 2005	735	Res Publica Party (RES)	Parts RES–REF–RL	X (2003)
16		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) [Note 4]
			5 April 2007	6 April 2011			Ansip II REF–IRL–SDE REF–IRL [Note 9]	XI (2007)
			6 April 2011	26 March 2014			Ansip III REF–IRL	XII (2011)
17		Taavi Rõivas (born 1979) 17th Prime Minister	26 March 2014	9 April 2015	973	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)
18		Jüri Ratas (born 1978) 18th Prime Minister	23 November 2016	29 April 2019	1525	Centre Party (KE)	Ratas I KE–SDE–IRL KE–SDE–I [Note 10]
			29 April 2019	26 January 2021			Ratas II KE–EKRE–I	XIV (2019)
19		Kaja Kallas (born 1977) 19th Prime Minister	26 January 2021	14 July 2022	1328	Reform Party (REF)	K. Kallas I REF–KE REF [Note 11]
									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)
20		Kristen Michal (born 1975) 20th Prime Minister	23 July 2024	Incumbent	54	Reform Party (REF)	Michal REF–E200–SDE

Notes

1. 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.
2. The Popular Front of Estonia formed the Estonian People's Centre Party on 12 October 1991.
3. 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".
4. President left the party upon assuming office.
5. The electoral alliance "Pro Patria" formed the Pro Patria National Coalition Party on 21 November 1992.
6. The electoral alliance "Moderates" (M) consisted of the Social Democratic Party (ESDP) and the Estonian Rural Centre Party (EMKE).
7. 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.
8. The Estonian Reform Party (REF) left the coalition on 1 December 1996. The Progress Party (AP) joined the coalition on 9 December 1996.
9. The Social Democratic Party (SDE) left the coalition on 21 May 2009.
10. The Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica was renamed Party Pro Patria on 2 June 2018.
11. The Centre Party left the coalition on 3 June 2022.

References

1. "Riigikogu liikmete ja teiste kõrgemate riigiteenijate palk ei muutu". Postimees. 15 March 2017.