While such room changes can follow Riiigkogu elections, this is the first time in between elections that a switch of this scale has happened, with the opposition Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) taking on Center's former rooms. The coalition Social Democrats (SDE) will meanwhile move into the rooms EKRE is to vacate.

The main reason is that whereas EKRE have currently 16 MPs and SDE 13, Center's tally has fallen to six – indeed SDE have been the beneficiary of four of the Center defections seen earlier on this year.

The allocation of Riigikogu office space is based on the number of MPS.

Center had occupied the rooms in question since the 1990s, with many journalists having spent hours, days and nights outside the doors over the past quarter-of-a-century, awaiting decisions on government formations, collapses, as well as during scandals and crises.

For instance the fall of the Center-EKRE-Isamaa coalition in January 2021 was announced between three and four in the morning.

"I think about a quarter of my life has been spent waiting here," ERR's Anne Raiste, reporting for AK, reflected.

Greta Silberg, an advisor to the Center Party's Riigikogu faction, concurred, noting that some past political discussions had been fiery, for instance back when current European Commissioner Kadri Simson was chief whip and the party was facing changes.

"One or two things have taken place here. If these walls could speak…" Silberg said.

"Those were the most tense times within the faction. The air hung heavy, and you could have cut it with a knife," Silberg further elaborated.

Speaking over the 'phone to AK, former MP Heimar Lenk recalled at time when the offices, which included a meeting room with fireplace and chandelier, were also a stronghold of the opposition.

"Those historic rooms, the three rooms in Toompea Castle: For years, they were filled with the great spirit of Savisaar," Lenk reminisced, referring to Center co-founder and former Tallinn mayor Edgar Savisaar, who passed away in December 2022.

Now, Center Party belongings, including a cushion and a large, variegated plant dating to the Simson era, are packed up into boxes and the offices, on the second floor of the rather labyrinthine Toompea castle, are empty and ready for their next occupants.

Cupboards have been stripped of books, personalized coffee cups and other items, though a mystery remains over some doors which cannot be opened, one of which had an unexplained hole bored into it.

On taking over the office space, EKRE chair Martin Helme said his party faction will manage in their new location. "We'll have a member of the clergy consecrate the rooms," he jested.

"There's no use talking sentimentally about how sad it all is. It's just the way it is, and that's life," Helme went on.

The party will be taking with them its own accoutrements, which include a signed photo of Donald Trump.

Meanwhile SDE MP Anti Allas (pictured) is bringing with him a large wall map of Estonia into the rooms being vacated by EKRE.

"Previously, there were nine people in the faction, but now there are 13, so when we have meetings with ministers, we need to be able to fit everyone in," he said.

Following the March 2019 Riigikogu election and despite a lower vote than at the previous election, the Center Party held 26 seats. That number fell to 16 after the March 2023 election, while following the accession of Mihhail Kõlvart as party leader, defections to Isamaa, Reform and SDE took place and included most of Center's biggest hitters; two more MPs are now sitting as independents.

The original AK segment is here.

The Riigikogu is open to the public for guided tours.

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