In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the prime minister and chief justice of the Supreme Court, and elects (either alone or, if necessary, together with representatives of local government within a broader electoral college) the president.

Among its other tasks, the Riigikogu also ratifies significant foreign treaties that impose military and proprietary obligations and bring about changes in law, as well as approves the budget presented by the government as law, and monitors the executive power.

23 April 1919, the opening session of the Estonian Constituent Assembly is considered the founding date of the Parliament of Estonia.

[1] Established under the 1920 constitution, the Riigikogu had 100 members elected for a three-year term on the basis of proportional representation.

The following year, the President used these new powers to adjourn parliament and declared martial law to avert an alleged coup.