Rästa, who placed seventh with singer Elina Born at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, moved to Sweden a year ago. He ran in the 2023 Riigikogu elections, receiving 1,142 votes. Although he did not win a seat, a governmental reshuffle last month gave him a seat as an alternate member.

"I haven't had to hustle much in life, so maybe now it's time," Rästa told "Ringvaade," noting that despite his Riigikogu seat, he and his family want to stay in Sweden for now.

"We want to stay longer in Sweden so the kids can settle into the language, which will take a couple of years. Musically, I haven't achieved everything I want there. These things take time," he added.

Rästa lives near Victor Crone, who represented Estonia at the 2019 Eurovision, and they collaborate musically.

Rästa said he moved to Sweden where he was essentially unknown. He and his wife had visited a school there during Eurovision 2016 when Jüri Pootsman represented Estonia. Later, they returned and explored how their children could attend the school.

"From there, the decision was easy. They said there was space, the classes were small, and we were welcome," he said.

Rästa mentioned bureaucracy in Sweden, like the three-month wait to open a bank account. "In Estonia, life is very safe, but in Sweden, it's not," he added.

Regarding his role on this side of the Baltic, Rästa said: "As a Riigikogu member, I sit on the Legal Affairs Committee, then report to the EU Affairs Committee. It's similar to my work on Viimsi local government."

Rästa's first day at the Riigikogu saw him vote to amend the Constitution, removing voting rights from third-country nationals in Estonia.

"Everyone patted me on the shoulder, saying that not many people get to amend the Constitution on their first day. It turned out I managed to do it on the first day," Rästa chuckled.

Overall, he said working in the Riigikogu is like being back in school. "My desk mate is [Eesti 200 MP] Peeter Tali," he noted.

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