1997 Liechtenstein general election

1997 Liechtenstein general election
2 February 1997
All 25 seats in the Landtag
13 seats needed for a majority
Turnout86.77% (Increase 1.46pp)
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/–
VU Mario Frick 49.23 13 0
FBP Thomas Büchel 39.20 10 −1
FL Executive committee 11.57 2 +1
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after
Mario Frick
VU		 Mario Frick
VU

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 2 February 1997 to elect the 25 members of the Landtag. The Patriotic Union (VU) won a majority of thirteen seats, with the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) winning ten. The Free List (FL) won two seats. Voter turnout was 86.8%.[1]

Incumbent prime minister Mario Frick of the VU sought-re-lection for a second term, while the FBP nominated deputy prime minister Thomas Büchel for the position. Following the elections, the FBP ended the coalition government that had existed since 1938 and moved into the opposition; the VU subsequently formed a single-party majority government under the leadership of Frick. The new government was sworn in on 14 April 1997.

Background

In the October 1993 elections the Patriotic Union (VU) gained a majority of thirteen seats, whereas the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) won eleven seats, and the Free List won one seat.[2] As a result, the VU and FBP formed a coalition government, ultimately under the leadership of Mario Frick.[3][4] The elections had been called early by Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein due to a motion of no confidence being passed against prime minister Markus Büchel at the request of the FBP, though the decision was notably criticized by members of the Free List and VU.[5][6]

Frick's term in office was marked by Liechtenstein joining the European Economic Area (EEA) following a successful referendum in 1995, and also the World Trade Organization the same year.[7][8] His government also signed a value-added tax treaty with Switzerland in 1994.[7]

Electoral system

The 25 members of the Landtag are elected via open list proportional representation from two constituencies, Oberland with 15 seats and Unterland with 10 seats.[9] Voters vote for a party list and then may strike through candidates for whom they do not wish to cast a preferential vote, and may add names of candidates from other lists. The electoral threshold to win a seat is 8%.[9] Landtag members sit for a four-year term. Once formed, the Landtag elects the prime minister and four government councillors who govern in a cabinet.[10] Voting is compulsory by law, and those who fail to vote without a valid reason may be fined, but this is no longer enforced.[11] Citizens over 20 years of age who have been resident in the country for one month prior to election day were eligible to vote.[12] It was the first election in Liechtenstein that allowed for postal voting, although limited to voters who were ill, disabled, or temporarily out of the country.[13]

Campaign

Mario Frick (left) and Thomas Büchel (right) were the VU and FBP's respective nominations for prime minister

The VU re-nominated Frick for prime minister on 9 September 1996. Additionally, the party nominated incumbent government councillors Andrea Willi and Michael Ritter as government candidates.[14] The party's program included improvement's to public transport, educational reform, equal rights for men and women, and a balanced budget.[15] Party president Oswald Kranz criticized "some other parties" to having contributed to an increasingly negative political climate in Liechtenstein through persistent criticism.[16]

The FBP nominated incumbent deputy prime minister Thomas Büchel for prime minister on 4 December 1996. In addition, the party nominated Cornelia Gassner and Marie-Louise Eberle as government candidates. Party president Norbert Seeger remarked how the party had corrected its mistakes from 1993, and also criticized the VU for having an "arrogance of power".[17]

Both the VU and FBP aimed for an absolute majority in the election, but both parties also indicated that they were open to continuing the coalition government between the two parties.[18][19] In a debate on 26 January 1997, Frick emphasized the party's plans for economic policy, whereas Büchel criticized the VU's economic policies and challenged the party's slogan of "The future is secure" by arguing that "the future cannot simply happen".[20][21] Near the end of the election campaign, the FBP encouraged voters to give the VU a "red card", which subsequently faced backlash from the VU, and was considered to have been met by confusion, even from within the FBP.[22][23]

The Free List presented its Landtag candidates on 2 December 1996.[24] The party sought to win three seats in the Landtag while ruling out electoral alliances with other parties or participation in government.[18][24] The party campaigned on issues such as environmental protection.[21]

Candidates

Political parties must have the support of 30 voters from a constituency to be eligible to nominate a candidate list in it.[11] A total of 67 candidates were presented for the election; 47 men and 20 women.[25]

Oberland FBP VU FL
  • Evelyne Bermann
  • Jutta Büchel
  • Kaspar Frick
  • René Hasler
  • Claudia Heeb-Fleck
  • Christel Hilti-Kaufmann
  • Hans Frommelt
  • Helen Marxer-Bulloni
  • Nikolaus Ruther
  • Paul Vogt
  • Markus Wille
Unterland FBP VU FL
  • Ingrid Allaart-Batliner
  • Linda Mündle-Büchel
  • Egon Matt
  • Adolf Ritter
  • Dominik Sele
  • Rosemarie Schädler-Matt
Source: Liechtensteiner Volksblatt[25]

Results

The VU received 49.2% of the vote, a 0.9% decrease from their October 1993 performance, and won a majority of thirteen seats in the Landtag.[26] The FBP received 39.2% of the vote, a 2.1% decrease from 1997 and won ten seats at a decrease of one.[26] It was the lowest electoral result in the FBP's history to that point.[5] The Free List saw its vote share increase from 8.5% to 11.6% from October 1993 and won two seats, at an increase of one.[26]

A total of 12,811 ballots were cast, resulting in a 86.8% voter turnout.[27]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Patriotic Union82,78649.23130
Progressive Citizens' Party65,91439.2010–1
Free List19,45511.572+1
Total168,155100.00250
Valid votes12,63498.62
Invalid/blank votes1771.38
Total votes12,811100.00
Registered voters/turnout14,76586.77
Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union[27]

By electoral district

Electoral district Seats Party Elected members Substitutes Votes % Swing Seats +/–
Oberland 15 Patriotic Union
63,860 50.9 Decrease 0.19 8 0
Progressive Citizens' Party
47,143 37.5 Decrease 2.34 6 0
Free List
  • Christel Hilti-Kaufmann
 14,382 11.4 Increase 2.39 1 0
Unterland 10 Patriotic Union
  • Viktor Meier
 18,895 44.2 Decrease 2.98 5 0
Progressive Citizens' Party
  • Renate Wohlwend
 18,748 43.9 Decrease 1.98 4 Decrease 1
Free List
  • Adolf Ritter
 5,067 11.9 Increase 4.95 1 Increase 1
Source: Liechtensteiner Volksblatt[25]

Aftermath

The government of Mario Frick

Following the election, the VU invited the FBP to begin negotiations the formation of a coalition government.[28] However, on 10 March the FBP party delegates voted 31 in favour and 368 against continuing the coalition with the VU, and as a result the FBP subsequently moved into the opposition,[29] ending the coalition government formed by the two parties that had existed since 1938.[30] The party cited its desire to go into the opposition as a means to renew the party's political identity.[29] As a result, the VU nominated Heinz Frommelt and Norbert Marxer as additional government candidates, and the party formed a single-party majority government under the leadership of Frick with Ritter as deputy prime minister.[31][32] The new government was sworn in on 14 April 1997.[33]

A poll published by Wilfried Marxer suggested that 44% of respondents who voted for the VU did so because of the party's government candidates, followed by traditional party affiliation at 25%. On the other hand, 46% of respondents who voted for the FBP cited traditional party affiliation as the reason for their vote, followed by the party's Landtag candidates at 30%. Voters for the Free List cited the party's policies at 55%, followed by the party's Landtag candidates at 27%.[34] A Demoscope poll initiated and published by the newspaper Liechtensteiner Vaterland suggested that a majority of respondents considered the FBP's red card campaign a "mistake" and that it had lost the party votes.[35]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Nohlen & Stöver 2010, p. 1181–1183.
  2. ↑ "Liechtenstein Parliamentary Chamber: Landtag Elections Held in 1993". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  3. ↑ Fritz, Günther (13 November 1993). "FBP für gemeinsame Regierungsbildung mit VU". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). p. 1. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Meier, Günther (16 December 1993). "Landtag wählte neue Regierung - Ernennung durch Fürst Hans-Adam II". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  5. 1 2 Marxer, Wilfred (31 December 2011). "Fortschrittliche Bürgerpartei (FBP)". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  6. ↑ "Landtag wurde aufgelöst, Regierungschef Büchel bleibt im Amt". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 16 September 1993. p. 1. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Frick, Mario". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). 31 December 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Trade alliance gets OK". Winnipeg Free Press. 10 April 1995. p. 4. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  9. 1 2 Marxer 2000, pp. 62–64.
  10. ↑ Vogt, Paul (31 December 2011). "Regierung". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  11. 1 2 Marxer 2000, p. 58.
  12. ↑ Marxer 2000, p. 57.
  13. ↑ Marxer 2000, p. 61.
  14. ↑ Fritz, Günther (10 September 1996). "VU-Regierungsteam einhellig nominiert". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). p. 1. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Wahlprogramm einhellig verabschiedet". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 1 October 1996. p. 4. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Fritz, Günther (1 October 1996). "Mit der VU für einen sicheren Weg". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). p. 3. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  17. ↑ ""Arroganz der Macht" lassen sich unsere Wähler nicht gefallen". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 5 December 1996. p. 3. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Arroganz ist, wenn man die Wirklichkeit nicht erkennt". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 27 January 1997. p. 1. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "FBPL: Zusammenarbeit ja, aber nicht um jeden Preis eine Koalition". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 27 January 1997. p. 2. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Der Schiedsrichter ist das Volk und nicht die FBPL". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 27 January 1997. p. 3. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Es ist eine Anmassung, wenn sich die VU als alleiniger Garant für die Zukunft bezeichnet". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 26 January 1997. p. 3. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "FBPL-Parteitag zeigte der VU gestern die 'Rote Karte". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 21 January 1997. p. 1. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  23. ↑ Marxer 2000, p. 160.
  24. 1 2 "Die Freie Liste schickt 17 KandidatInnen ins Wahlrennen". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 3 December 1996. p. 2. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  25. 1 2 3 "Landtagswahlen 1997". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 3 February 1997. p. 3. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 Marxer 2000, p. 163.
  27. 1 2 "Liechtenstein Parliamentary Chamber: Landtag Elections Held in 1997". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  28. ↑ Fritz, Günther (4 February 1997). "VU lädt FBPL zu Koalitionsverhandlungen ein". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). p. 1. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  29. 1 2 Schnetzer, Daniela (11 March 1997). "FBPL geht in die Opposition". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). p. 1. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  30. ↑ Marxer, Wilfried (31 December 2011). "Koalition". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  31. ↑ "Regierung: Vier Vollamtliche". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 15 April 1997. p. 4. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  32. ↑ Quaderer, Elias (17 July 2024). "Erst dreimal wurde die Regierung völlig ausgewechselt". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  33. ↑ "Neue Regierung gewählt". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 15 April 1997. p. 1. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  34. ↑ Marxer 2000, p. 165.
  35. ↑ Fritz, Günther (1 March 1997). ""Rote Karte' hat der FBPL massiv geschadet". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). pp. 1 & 3. Retrieved 27 July 2026.

Bibliography

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