Estonian parties seek to cut parliament members' pay after 2027 election
Both coalition and opposition parties in Estonia's parliament, the Riigikogu, are discussing lower salaries for MPs in the next term. The opposition Isamaa party has drafted a bill, while the governing Reform Party says the government is already amending the relevant law.
Estonian political parties are looking at cutting the pay of members of the Riigikogu, the country's parliament, or at least slowing its growth, for the term that follows the 2027 election. Both the governing coalition and the opposition are involved in the discussion. Since April 1, 2026, a Riigikogu member's monthly salary has been €6,655.81, and MPs may claim reimbursement of work-related expenses of up to 25 percent of their salary.
The next Riigikogu will be elected in March 2027, and salaries for that composition can still be set now.
Isamaa's proposal
Urmas Reinsalu, chairman of the opposition party Isamaa, said that in recent years pay rises for other senior state officials have been smaller in line with austerity policy, but this has not been applied to parliament. He said his party has drawn up a bill with two parts: reducing MPs' base salaries by roughly 10 percent to restore the earlier proportion relative to other senior officials, and moving to a more gradual system of pay increases, which the government has proposed for the coming years.
Reinsalu claimed the changes would save about €10 million over four years. He said the matter has not yet been discussed with other parties, but he hoped the initiative would gain support.
Reform Party's response
Õnne Pillak, chair of the Reform Party's parliamentary group, told ERR that Isamaa is pushing at an open door. The government is already amending the Salaries of Higher State Servants Act. According to her, the idea of reducing the pace of pay increases for MPs has been discussed within the party, and the open question is the percentage. She said it makes sense to wait until the government's bill reaches the Riigikogu.
Pillak said Reform supports the principle that MPs, like government ministers, should receive smaller raises. In her view there is no competition between the bills, but Isamaa's proposal is incomplete. If the solutions are similar in substance, Isamaa's bill could be merged with the government's, she added.
