Elections in Liechtenstein have been held since the ratification of the 1862 constitution in which the Landtag of Liechtenstein was established. Political parties did not exist in Liechtenstein until they were formed in 1918. [1] [2] Before the ratification of the 1921 constitution, the head of government was not elected, but rather appointed by the prince of Liechtenstein, thus elections were only held to elect members of the Landtag. [3] [4] Under the constitution general elections are held for the members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein, who then elect the prime minister. As of 2021, there have been 48 general elections held in Liechtenstein.
In 1939 the voting system was changed to introduce proportional representation. [5] The Landtag had 15 seats until a referendum in 1988 increased this to 25. [6] Women were not allowed to vote in elections until 1984 when universal male suffrage was replaced with universal suffrage in the constitution. [7]
Election | No. | Date(s) | Elected prime minister [a] | Winning party | Winning vote share | Seat majority | Ref(s). | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1862 | 1 | 24 November 1862 | Karl Freiherr Haus von Hausen | — | — | — | [8] | |
1866 | 2 | 3 May 1866 | ||||||
1869 | 3 | 29 April 1869 | ||||||
1872 | 4 | March 1872 | ||||||
1875 | 5 | 8 May 1875 | ||||||
1877 | 6 | 30 April – 18 October 1877 | ||||||
1878 | 7 | 15–16 May 1878 | ||||||
1882 | 8 | 2–3 May 1882 | ||||||
1886 | 9 | 19–20 April 1886 | Carl von In der Maur | |||||
1890 | 10 | 12–16 April 1890 | ||||||
1894 | 11 | 16–17 May 1894 | Friedrich Stellwag von Carion | |||||
1898 | 12 | 11–12 May 1898 | Carl von In der Maur | |||||
1902 | 13 | 3–4 September 1902 | ||||||
1906 | 14 | 28–30 July 1906 | ||||||
1910 | 15 | 2–4 August 1910 | ||||||
1914 | 16 | 30 September – 2 October 1914 | Leopold Freiherr von Imhof | |||||
1918 | 17 | 11–18 March 1918 | [8] [9] | |||||
1922 | 18 | 5–16 February 1922 | Gustav Schädler | CSVP | 11 | |||
Jan 1926 | 19 | 10–24 January 1926 | 9 | |||||
Apr 1926 | 20 | 5 April 1926 | ||||||
1928 | 21 | 15–29 July 1928 | Josef Hoop | FBP | 11 | |||
1930 | 22 | 16 March 1930 | 15 | |||||
1932 | 23 | 6–13 March 1932 | 13 | |||||
1936 | 24 | 13–16 February 1936 | 11 | |||||
1939 | 25 | 4 April 1939 | 8 | [8] [10] | ||||
1945 | 26 | 29 April 1945 | 54.72% | [8] [11] | ||||
1949 | 27 | 6 February 1949 | Alexander Frick | 52.93% | ||||
Feb 1953 | 28 | 15 February 1953 | 50.54% | |||||
Jun 1953 | 29 | 14 June 1953 | 50.43% | |||||
1957 | 30 | 1 September 1957 | 52.36% | |||||
1958 | 31 | 23 March 1958 | 54.47% | 9 | ||||
1962 | 32 | 25 March 1962 | 47.18% | 8 | ||||
1966 | 33 | 6 February 1966 | Gerard Batliner | 48.47% | ||||
1970 | 34 | 1 February 1970 | Alfred Hilbe | VU | 49.57% | [12] | ||
1974 | 35 | 1–3 February 1974 | Walter Kieber | FBP | 50.08% | [13] | ||
1978 | 36 | 3 February 1978 | Hans Brunhart | VU | 50.85% | [14] | ||
1982 | 37 | 5–7 February 1982 | 53.47% | [15] | ||||
1986 | 38 | 31 January – 2 February 1986 | 50.19% | [16] | ||||
1989 | 39 | March 1989 | 47.15% | 13 [b] | [17] | |||
Feb 1993 | 40 | 7 February 1993 | Markus Büchel | FBP | 44.19% | 11 | [18] | |
Oct 1993 | 41 | 24 October 1993 | Mario Frick | VU | 50.12% | 13 | [19] | |
1997 | 42 | 2 February 1997 | 49.23% | [20] | ||||
2001 | 43 | 9–11 February 2001 | Otmar Hasler | FBP | 49.90% | [21] | ||
2005 | 44 | 13 March 2005 | 48.74% | 12 | [22] | |||
2009 | 45 | 8 February 2009 | Klaus Tschütscher | VU | 47.61% | 13 | [23] | |
2013 | 46 | 3 February 2013 | Adrian Hasler | FBP | 40.00% | 10 | [24] | |
2017 | 47 | 5 February 2017 | 35.24% | 9 | [25] | |||
2021 | 48 | 7 February 2021 | Daniel Risch | VU | 35.89% | 10 | [26] | |
2025 | 49 | 9 February 2025 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | [27] |
Political identity came to the territory now occupied by the Principality of Liechtenstein in 814, with the formation of the subcountry of Lower Rhætia. Liechtenstein's borders have remained unchanged since 1434, when the Rhine established the border between the Holy Roman Empire and the Swiss cantons.
Hans Brunhart is a politician and journalist from Liechtenstein who served as the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1978 to 1993.
Alexander Frick was a political figure from Liechtenstein who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1945 to 1962.
The Constitution of the Principality of Liechtenstein was promulgated on 5 October 1921, replacing the 1862 constitution.
Markus Büchel was a lawyer and politician from Liechtenstein who served as the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein in 1993. Serving for just under 7 months, he is the shortest serving prime minister in Liechtenstein's history.
Gustav Schädler was a teacher and politician from Liechtenstein who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1922 to 1928.
General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 31 January and 2 February 1986. The result was a victory for the Patriotic Union, which won 8 of the 15 seats in the Landtag. The Progressive Citizens' Party won seven seats, whilst the new Free List was less than 1% short of the 8% electoral threshold and failed to win a seat. The coalition government of the FBP and the VU continued.
General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 4 April 1939. 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. 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.
General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 29 April 1945. Following the "silent elections" of 1939, they were the first to use the new proportional representation system. The Progressive Citizens' Party won eight of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union.
General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 14 June 1953. The elections were called ahead of schedule after the Patriotic Union members of the Landtag resigned over a dispute regarding the administrative composition of the old age and survivors' insurance office in Liechtenstein. The Progressive Citizens' Party won eight of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union.
General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 23 March 1958. The elections were called ahead of schedule after the Patriotic Union members of the Landtag resigned over a dispute regarding the electoral law. The Progressive Citizens' Party won nine of the 15 seats in the Landtag, but remained in coalition with the Patriotic Union.
Franz Josef Hoop was a Liechtensteiner diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1928 to 1945. Hoop is best known for his efforts to retain Liechtenstein's neutrality and independence during World War II. Serving for seventeen years, he is the longest-serving prime minister in the country's history, ahead of his successor Alexander Frick by 79 days. He served under the reign of Johann II, Franz I and Franz Joseph II, making him the only prime minister to serve under three Princes of Liechtenstein consecutively.
The Christian-Social People's Party, often shortened to People's Party, was a social liberal political party in Liechtenstein. Founded in 1918, the Christian-Social People's Party and the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) were the first political parties in Liechtenstein.
The GustavSchädler cabinet was the governing body of Liechtenstein from 10 June 1922 to 15 June 1928. It was appointed by Johann II and was chaired by Gustav Schädler.
The Josef Ospelt cabinet was the governing body of Liechtenstein from 23 March 1921 to 27 April 1922. It was appointed by Johann II and was chaired by Josef Ospelt.
The Walter Kieber cabinet was the governing body of Liechtenstein from 27 March 1974 to 26 April 1978. It was appointed by Franz Joseph II and chaired by Walter Kieber.
The Fourth Hans Brunhart cabinet was the governing body of Liechtenstein from 5 June 1989 to 26 March 1993. It was appointed by Hans-Adam II and was chaired by Hans Brunhart.
The Markus Büchel Brunhart cabinet was the governing body of Liechtenstein from 26 March to 15 December 1993. It was appointed by Hans-Adam II and was chaired by Markus Büchel.
The First Mario Frick cabinet was the governing body of Liechtenstein from 15 December 1993 to 9 April 1997. It was appointed by Hans-Adam II and was chaired by Mario Frick.