Chip off the old block: New Parliament gathers for first session
Skimming through the pictures of the first session of the 13th Estonian Parliament that took place on Monday, you might have caught yourself thinking that this looks a bit like one of those take-your-child-to work days.
If you thought some faces look similar to each other, you are not mistaken. The newly inaugurated makeup of Riigikogu includes a record number of families: five pairs of parent-child and one pair of siblings. All six families are members of the opposition.
There are four fathers and sons: Edgar and Erki Savisaar (Center Party), Rein and Jüri Ratas (Center Party), Valeri and Mihhail Korb (Center Party), and Mart and Martin Helme (Conservative People's Party). One father-daughter duo: Aadu Must and Kadri Simson, the acting head of Center Party; and one pair of siblings: Maarika Tuus-Laul and Heimar Lenk (Center Party).
Most have been MPs before and know the corridors of power well, only Erki Savisaar, Rein Ratas and the Helme family are new to the Toompea castle.
As the oldest member of the Parliament, Rein Ratas, 76, also recited the oath of office during the first sitting. The youngest new MP is Jaak Madison, 23.
There are currently 78 men and 23 women in the Parliament but the composition is set to change a bit once the new cabinet takes office.
The 13th Estonian Parliament includes members from six parties: Reform Party (30 seats), Center Party (27), Soc Dems (15), IRL (14), Free Party (8), and Conservative People's Party (7).
Editor: M. Oll