The Government of the Republic of Estonia (Estonian: Vabariigi Valitsus) is the cabinet of Estonia. Under the Constitution, it exercises executive power pursuant to the Constitution and laws of Estonia.
The cabinet carries out the country's domestic and foreign policy, shaped by parliament (Riigikogu); it directs and coordinates the work of government institutions and bears full responsibility for everything occurring within the authority of executive power. The government, headed by the Prime Minister, thus represents the political leadership of the country and makes decisions in the name of the whole executive power.
introduces bills, and submits international treaties to the Riigikogu for ratification and denunciation;
prepares the draft of the state budget and submits it to the Riigikogu, administers the implementation of the state budget and presents a report on the implementation of the state budget to the Riigikogu;
issues regulations and orders on the basis of and for the implementation of law;
manages relations with other states;
performs other duties which the Constitution and the laws vest in the Government of the Republic.
Unlike other cabinets in most other parliamentary regimes, the Government is both the de jure and de facto executive authority in Estonia. In most other parliamentary regimes, the head of state is usually the nominal chief executive, though bound by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. In Estonia, however, the Constitution explicitly vests executive authority in the Government, not the President.
The current cabinet was approved by the Riigikogu on 17 April 2023.
The coalition agreed on 12 ministers in addition to the prime minister with six portfolios going to Reform and three for both Estonia 200 and the Social Democrats.[2]
