Why did Estonia have many coalition governments between 1919 and 1933?

Between 1919 and 1933, Estonia frequently relied on coalition governments primarily because no single political party was able to secure an absolute majority in the Riigikogu.

The political landscape was shaped by the 1920 constitution, which established a single-chamber parliament elected through a system of proportional representation. This electoral system, combined with a proliferation of political parties and groups, made it difficult to form stable, long-term administrations. As a result, the average lifespan of a government during this period was only about eight months and 20 days, leading to frequent cabinet changes and a total of 20 different coalitions headed by 10 statesmen between May 1919 and May 1933.123