Ernst Walch | |
|---|---|
 Walch in 2024 | |
| President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein | |
| In office February 1993 –October 1993 | |
| Monarch | Hans Adam II |
| Preceded by | Karlheinz Ritter |
| Succeeded by | Paul Kindle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 May 1956 Vaduz,Liechtenstein |
| Political party | Progressive Citizens' Party |
| Spouse | Margrit Keller (m. 1980) |
| Children | 6 |
Ernst Joseph Walch (born 12 May 1956) is a politician from Liechtenstein who served as the President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein in 1993. [1]
He studied law in Innsbruck, where he earned his doctorate in 1980, and at the New York University School of Law, Graduate Division, Institute of Comparative Law, where he received his Master of Comparative Jurisprudence in 1981. He was admitted to the bar in the United States in 1983 and in Liechtenstein in 1984. [2]
He was a member of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 1989 to 1996 as a member of the Progressive Citizens' Party. He was the President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from February 1993 to October 1993. [1] From 1983 to 1993 Walch represented the Progressive Citizens' Party as member of the Steering committee of the European Democrat Union. [2] He served as the Liechtenstein minister of foreign affairs from 2001 to 2005 in the first Otmar Hasler cabinet. [3]
Walch belongs to various professional organizations, including the New York State Bar Association, the Liechtenstein Law Society and the German-Austrian-Swiss Registered Association of Lawyers (DACH). He is also a certified interpreter and translator for English and German. In addition, he has authored numerous publications on international legal issues, notably international commercial law. He is a partner in the Liechtenstein law firm Walch & Schurti. [2]
From 2006 Walch was a member of the board of directors of the Liechtensteiner Volksblatt until it ceased operations in March 2023 due to declining subscriptions and rising costs. [2] [4] On 13 August 2024, the Progressive Citizens' Party nominated Walch for Prime Minister of Liechtenstein in the 2025 Liechtenstein general election. At 68 years old, he is the oldest candidate in Liechtenstein's history. [5]
Walch married Margrit Keller (born 10 December 1955) on 22 November 1980 and they have six children. [2]
The Progressive Citizens' Party in Liechtenstein is a conservative political party in Liechtenstein. The FBP is one of the two major political parties in Liechtenstein, along with the liberal-conservative Patriotic Union. Founded in 1918 along with the now-defunct Christian-Social People's Party, it is the oldest extant party in Liechtenstein.
Hans Brunhart is a political figure from Liechtenstein who served as the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1978 to 1993.
Same-sex marriage will soon be legal in Liechtenstein. In November 2022, the Landtag passed a motion calling on the government to introduce a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, with broad support from across the political spectrum. A bill legalizing same-sex marriage was introduced in February 2024 and passed its final reading in the Landtag on 16 May 2024 by a 24–1 vote. It received royal assent from Prince Alois on 9 July 2024, and is scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2025. Polling suggests that a majority of Liechtensteiners support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Liechtenstein have developed significantly over time. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1989, with an equal age of consent since 2001. Same-sex couples have had access to registered partnerships since 2011, and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been outlawed in some areas since 2016.
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Women's suffrage in Liechtenstein was introduced on 1 July 1984, after the 1984 Liechtenstein women's suffrage referendum. This was the last nation in Europe to introduce this right.
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Wilhelm Büchel was a Liechtensteiner farmer and politician (FBP).
Christine Wohlwend is a Liechtensteiner businesswoman, forensic technician, and politician who served in the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 2013 until 2017. Wohlwend represented the Oberland constituency as a member of the Progressive Citizens' Party, and also served as the party's parliamentary group spokeswoman.
Otto Schaedler was a physician and political figure from Liechtenstein who served in the Landtag of Liechtenstein and was one of the founders of the Patriotic Union party.
Alois Vogt was an advocate and political figure from Liechtenstein who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1938 to 1945.
Peter Marxer was an advocate and political figure from Liechtenstein who served as the president of the Progressive Citizens' Party from 1970 to 1982. He also oversaw the law firm Marxer & Partner Rechtsanwälte from 1962 until his death.
General elections are scheduled to be held in Liechtenstein on 9 February 2025 to elect the 25 members of the Landtag. They will be the 49th general elections since the ratification of the 1862 constitution.
