1939 Liechtenstein general election

1939 Liechtenstein general election

←  1936 4 April 1939 1945  →

All 15 seats in the Landtag 8 seats needed for a majority

Party Leader Seats +/– FBP Josef Hoop 8 −3 VU Otto Schaedler 7 +3 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Prime Minister before Prime Minister after Josef Hoop FBP Josef Hoop FBP

General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 4 April 1939. ^[1] Although a new system of proportional representation had been introduced to pacify voters at a time when the country was under threat from neighbouring Nazi Germany, it was not used and the elections became known as the "silent elections" as no actual vote was held. ^[2] Instead, the governing Progressive Citizens' Party and opposition Patriotic Union formed a coalition, assigning a roughly equal number of seats each, in order to prevent the German National Movement in Liechtenstein from acquiring any seats in the Landtag. ^{[2] [3]}

Background

On 31 March 1938, in the wake of the Anschluss of Austria, Franz I made his grandnephew Franz Joseph II regent and moved to Feldberg, Czechoslovakia and on 25 July, he died while at one of his family's castles, Castle Feldberg, and Franz Joseph formally succeeded him as prince of Liechtenstein as Franz Joseph II. ^{[4] [5]} Around the same time, the German National Movement in Liechtenstein (VBDL), a local Liechtenstein Nazi party, was formed and advocated for the annexation of Liechtenstein into Nazi Germany. ^[6]

Under the initiative of Franz Joseph, the Progressive Citizens' Party and Patriotic Union started negotiations for the formation of a coalition government. ^[7] This coalition was designed to avoid political deadlock while there was ongoing threat from Nazi Germany, and more importantly, prevent the VBDL from gaining any seats within the Landtag. ^{[8] [9]} As a result of the coalition, Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, Anton Frommelt, a member of the Progressive Citizens' Party, was succeeded by Alois Vogt of the Patriotic Union. ^[10] In addition, Josef Hoop's second cabinet was succeeded by a new cabinet, now containing several members of both parties as per the coalition agreement. ^[11]

A compromise for the coalition was to introduce a proportional representation to the country, despite it being rejected via referendum three years prior. ^{[12] [13]} It was introduced unanimously on 18 January 1939. ^{[12] [14]} Shortly after, Franz Joseph, in agreement with both parties, disbanded the Landtag and called for early elections. ^[3] The elections were only used to distribute a roughly equal number of seats in the Landtag between the two parties, as such it became known as the "silent election" as no actual voting took place. ^[2] This was allowed to due to article thirty of the new proportional representation law, which states that "If one or more parties, representing at least 80% of the votes cast in the previous legislative elections, form a joint list of candidates, these, excluding the other candidates proposed by other parties, are declared elected, if fewer than 400 persons registered on the electoral lists do not object in writing within 14 days.". ^[14] The clause was enacted due to both party's desire to not hold an election campaign period that would jeopardize the recently-formed coalition government and allow for the VBDL to be able to gain support. ^[3]

On 24 March 1939 the 1939 Liechtenstein putsch took place, where approximately 40 members of the VDBL starting from Nendeln marched towards Vaduz, planning to seize control of the government, which was hoped would cause clashes between them and the government. German troops from Feldkirch would then move into Liechtenstein in response to a call for help and incorporate the country into Germany. Further coup participants were supposed to close the Triesen-Balzers road and the Vaduz-Sevelen Rhine bridge in the wake of the German invasion, though the invasion did not happen as it was blocked on Adolf Hitler's orders after intervention by Alois Vogt. ^{[15] [16]} Instead, VDBL members resorted to burning swastikas in order to provoke an intervention from Nazi Germany. The plan failed however, as they were stopped by opponents, and most VBDL members were arrested or fled. The coup was unpopular with most people in Liechtenstein and it generated a strong sense of patriotic unity. ^[15] This caused the Liechtenstein Loyalty Association, which had been founded earlier in the year, to heighten its operations against the VDBL and launch a signature campaign to reaffirm Liechtenstein's independence, which received 2492 signatures. ^{[17] [18]}

The scheduled elections is believed to be the primary motivation for the coup, as many within the VBDL saw it as a last hope to gaining power within the country. ^[19] The election process could have been challenged and been made a subject via referendum should have at least 400 signatures been submitted against it, although this did not happen, and on 6 April the results, which was a predetermined list of candidates from both parties, were announced. ^[3]

Results

The Progressive Citizens' Party maintained the majority over the Landtag, and Josef Hoop remained as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein. However, both the party and FBP now maintained a roughly equal number of seats in the Landtag. ^[11] This coalition between the two parties lasted until 1997. ^[9]

Party		Seats	+/–
	Progressive Citizens' Party	8	–3
	Patriotic Union	7	+3
Total		15	0
Source: Nohlen & Stöver [20]

By electoral district

Electoral district	Seats	Party		Seats won	Elected members	Substitutes
Oberland	9		Patriotic Union	5	Johann Beck Florian Kindle Otto Schaedler Josef Sele Basil Vogt	Rudolf Amann Heinrich Brunhart Meinrad Schädler Johann Wachter
			Progressive Citizens' Party	4	Louis Brunhart Franz Eberle Anton Frommelt Ferdinand Risch	Johann Beck Adolf Frommelt Gustav Jehle Bernhard Risch
Unterland	6		Progressive Citizens' Party	4	Oswald Bühler Johann Georg Hasler Franz Xaver Hoop Eugen Schädler	Philipp Elkuch Karl Marxer Rudolf Marxer
			Patriotic Union	2	Rudolf Matt Chrisostomus Oehri	Johann Georg Hasler Konrad Wohlwend
Source: Vogt [11]

References

1. Nohlen & Stöver 2010, p. 1164.
2. Nohlen & Stöver 2010, p. 1179.
3. Büchel, Donat (31 December 2011). "Stille Wahl". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 15 January 2024.
4. "Prince Franz to Return to Estate". Daily News. 1 April 1938. p. 216. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Oldest Former Ruler Succumbs". Kenosha News. 26 July 1938. p. 1. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Marxer, Wilfried (31 December 2011). "Volksdeutsche Bewegung in Liechtenstein (VDBL)". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
7. "Liechtenstein's Prince Franz Josef II, 83". Los Angeles Times . 15 November 1989. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
8. Büchel, Donat (31 December 2011). "Märzkrise". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 28 August 2024.
9. Marxer, Wilfred (31 December 2011). "Koalition". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 28 August 2024.
10. "Mitglieder der Regierung des Fürstentums Liechtenstein 1862-2021" (PDF). www.regierung.li. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
11. Vogt 1987.
12. "Parties in Liechtenstein 1921-1943". Prince and People: Liechtenstein Civics (in German). 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
13. Nohlen & Stöver 2010, p. 1172.
14. "Gesetz vom 18. Januar 1939 - über die Einführung des Verhältniswahlrechtes". Liechtensteinische Landesverwaltung (in German). Archived from the original on 25 November 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
15. Büchel, Donat (31 December 2011). "Anschlussputsch". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
16. Schremser, Jürgen (31 December 2011). "Vogt, Alois". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 26 May 2023.
17. "Ninety-Five Per Cent of Voters in Liechtenstein Reject Union with Nazis". Lawrence Journal-World . 3 April 1939. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
18. Marxer, Wilfried (31 December 2011). "Heimattreue Vereinigung Liechtenstein". Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (in German). Retrieved 17 November 2023.
19. Geiger 2000, pp. 327–331.
20. Nohlen & Stöver, p1182

Bibolography

• Nohlen, Dieter; Stöver, Philip (2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook. ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7.
• Geiger, Peter (1997). Liechtenstein in den Dreissigerjahren 1928–1939 (in German) (1st ed.). Zürich: Liechtenstein Institute. pp. 327–330. ISBN   3-906393-28-3.
• Geiger, Peter (2000). Liechtenstein in den Dreissigerjahren 1928–1939 (in German) (2nd ed.). Zürich: Liechtenstein Institute.
• Vogt, Paul (1987). 125 Jahre Landtag (in German). Vaduz: Landtag of the Principality of Liechtenstein.