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Liechtenstein

Landlocked country in west-central Europe, bounded east by Austria and west by Switzerland.

Government

The 1921 constitution established a hereditary principality with a single-chamber parliament, the Landtag. The prince is formal and constitutional head of state with powers to nominate the government and judges, and sign international treaties, which need, however, to be ratified by parliament. The Landtag has 25 members, 15 from the Upper Country and 10 from the Lower Country, elected for a four-year term through a system of proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies. The Landtag elects five people, a prime minister and four councillors, to form the government for its duration. Government is based on the principle of collegiality - colleagues collaborating with each other.

History

The Liechtenstein dynasty, after which the country is named, came from Castle Liechtenstein in Lower Austria, which it held from the 12th century. In 1719 they purchased Schellenberg and Vaduz, which Charles VI, The Holy Roman Emperor, recognized as the principality of Liechtenstein. It remained part of The Holy Roman Empire until 1806, when it was invaded by Napoleon of France, and was a member of the German Confederation 1815-66, when it left to become an independent principality, but with close ties to Austria. It disbanded its army in 1868, for financial reasons.

Prince Franz Joseph II came to power in 1938, and Liechtenstein was neutral during World War II, but the ruling family lost ancestral lands in Czechoslovakia and Poland. Although Franz Joseph II retained the title, he passed the duties of prince to his heir, Hans Adam, in 1984. Franz Joseph II died in October 1989 and Hans Adam II immediately began to press strongly for the country to consider applying for full membership of the United Nations (UN). Despite the growing indications of change, Liechtenstein's political system remained innately conservative. Women did not achieve the right to vote in national elections until 1984.

Because of its small population (fewer than 30,000), Liechtenstein has associated itself with larger nations in international matters. For example, in 1923 it formed a customs union with Switzerland, which also represented it abroad 1919-90. It became a member of the United Nations in 1990 and of the European Free Trade Association in 1991.

Its parliament has been dominated by two conservative parties, the Fortschrittliche Bürgerpartei in Liechtenstein (FBPL; Progressive Citizens' Party in Liechtenstein) and the Vaterländische Union (VU; Patriotic Union). In 1993 28-year-old Mario Frick became the youngest head of government in Europe. Led by Frick, the VU held power until 2001, when the FBPL, led by Otmar Hasler, took power. The VU had been damaged by financial scandals and the OECD's naming of Liechtenstein as a ‘harmful tax haven’.

In June 2001, Liechtenstein filed a law suit against Germany in an attempt to recover allegedly stolen art, property, and land. Liechtenstein's foreign minister said Germany had used the principality's assets as reparations for Czech citizens after World War II.

Council of Europe European Economic Area

European Free Trade Association Feldkirch

Frick, Mario Switzerland

Vaduz Vorarlberg

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