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2025 Liechtenstein general election

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2025 Liechtenstein general election
Liechtenstein
← 2021 9 February 2025 2029 →
All 25 seats in the Landtag
13 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader Current seats
VU Brigitte Haas 10
FBP Ernst Walch 10
FL 3
DpL Thomas Rehak 2
2025 electoral map
Incumbent Prime Minister
Daniel Risch
VU
Politics of Liechtenstein
Constitution
Monarchy
Executive
Legislative
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations

General elections are scheduled to be held in Liechtenstein on 9 February 2025 to elect the 25 members of the Landtag.[1][2] They will be the 49th general elections since the ratification of the 1862 constitution.

Incumbent prime minister Daniel Risch has declared his intention to not run for re-election. The Patriotic Union has nominated Brigitte Haas for prime minister, whereas the Progressive Citizens' Party have nominated Ernst Walch. Should Haas be elected to the office, she would be the first female head of government.

Background

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Main article: 2021 Liechtenstein general election

In the 2021 Liechtenstein general election, the Patriotic Union (VU) and Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) each won 10 seats.[3] As a result, the two parties formed a coalition government, ultimately under Daniel Risch of the VU.[3][4] The Free List and Democrats for Liechtenstein received 12.9% and 11.1% of the vote in 2021 respectively.[5] A new political party, Mensch Im Mittelpunkt, was formed in 2022.[6]

Electoral system

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Main article: Elections in Liechtenstein

The 25 members of the Landtag are elected by open list proportional representation from two constituencies, Oberland with 15 seats and Unterland with 10 seats. 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.[7] The electoral threshold to win a seat is 8%.[8] Landtag members sit for a four year term.[7] Once formed, the Landtag votes to elect a prime minister, who governs through a cabinet of four ministers, who are selected from Landtag members.[7][9] Voting is compulsory by law and most is carried out by post. Polling stations are open only for one and a half hours on election day. Citizens over 18 years of age who have been resident in the country for one month prior to election day are eligible to vote.[7]

On 25 February 2024 Liechtenstein voters were asked in a referendum if members of government should be directly elected, a proposal that would have affected the 2025 general election if successful.[10][11] However, the proposal was rejected by voters.[12]

Campaign

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On 19 February 2024 Daniel Risch declared his intention to not run for re-election.[13][14] The VU nominated Brigitte Haas for prime minister, being the second woman nominated for the position, behind Sabine Monauni in 2021.[15][16] She stated that she was "available" for multiple terms if elected.[17]

On 13 August 2024, the Progressive Citizens' Party nominated former President of the Landtag, Ernst Walch for prime minister.[18] At 68 years old, he is the oldest candidate in Liechtenstein's history.[19] He has declared his intention to only serve one term as prime minister should he be elected.[20] In an interview with 1 FL TV, incumbent President of the Landtag, Albert Frick, belonging to the FBP, announced that he will not be running for re-election.[21] According to an October 2024 survey, only 48% of respondents wanted a government that included Walch, being the lowest of any candidate.[22]

In February 2024 the newspaper Liechtensteiner Vaterland conducted a survey which suggested that only 25% of respondents would support another coalition government between the Patriotic Union and Progressive Citizens' Party.[23] However, the FBP has declared that it is open to the formation of a coalition should it win the election.[24] Brigitte Hass has also said that she is open to a formation of a coalition with the FBP, but is sceptical of other parties.[25]

The Democrats for Liechtenstein, led by Thomas Rehak, are expected to receive a significantly increased share of the vote compared to 2021.[26] Both the DpL and the Free List are unlikely to present any candidates for prime minister or government.[27]

Election campaigning is largely unregulated and carried out via social media, newspapers and broadcast media. All parties are permitted to post an official campaign video on the websites of the two main newspapers in the country. The elections are the second to be carried out under the 2019 Law on Payment of Contributions to Political Parties which limited public funding to registered political parties, banned large anonymous donations and required the publication of accounts by parties.[7]

Opinion polls

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Source Date VU FBP FL DpL DU MiM Other
Demoscope[28] 22 October 2024 31% 31% 9% 17% — — 1%
Demoscope[26] 20 June 2024 25% 23% 14% 23% — — —
Vaterland[29] 13 July 2023 14.70% 16.19% 5.17% 41.46% 0.71% 14.75% 7.02%

Candidates

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Oberland FBP VU FL
DpL DU
Unterland FBP VU FL
  • Fabian Haltinner
  • Franziska Hoop
  • Nico Büchel
  • Karin Zech-Hoop
  • Lino Nägele
  • Iwan Schurte
  • Sieglinde Kieber
  • Andreas Haber
  • Johannes Kaiser
  • Helmut Hasler
  • Mario Wohlwend
  • Markus Schaper
  • Tanja Cissé
  • Elias Jehle
  • John Zimmermann
  • Yannick Ritter
  • Stefan Öhri
  • Thöny-Gritsch
  • Tatjana Ketz
  • Dietmar Hasler
  • Patrick Risch
  • Sandra Fausch
  • Valentin Ritter
DpL DU
Source: Liechtensteiner Vaterland

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Termin für Landtagswahlen steht: 9. Februar 2025". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 13 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Liechtenstein – Elections". IPU Parline. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Liechtenstein election: Just 23 ballots separate two biggest parties". Euronews. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  4. ^ "New Government Sworn In". liechtensteinusa.org. Embassy of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Washington D.C. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Landtagswahlen 2021 – Ergebnisse". Principality of Liechtenstein. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Frommelt: "Das Parteienspektrum könnte sich schon noch weiter ausdiff erenzieren"" (PDF). Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 6 June 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Principality of Liechtenstein: Parliamentary Elections 7 February 2021" (PDF). Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. OSCE. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  8. ^ Article 55 (1) of the Volksrechtegesetz (Law of People's Rights) Gesetze.li
  9. ^ "Liechtenstein election: Just 23 ballots separate two biggest parties". Euronews. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Abstimmung über das Initiativbegehren "Einbezug des Volkes bei der Bestellung der Regierung" am 25. Februar 2024". www.llv.li (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  11. ^ "Volkswahl der Regierung: Tag der Abstimmung steht fest". liwelt.li. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  12. ^ "Abstimmung über die «Volkswahl der Regierung» (25 February 2024)". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Alle drei VU-Regierungsräte kandidieren 2025 nicht mehr". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  14. ^ Quaderer, Elias (19 February 2024). "Aus diesen Gründen tritt das bisherige VU-Regierungsteam 2025 nicht mehr an". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Frischer Wind für Liechtenstein". Vaterland Union (in German). 19 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  16. ^ Daragahi, Borzou (9 February 2021). "Liechtenstein's women only got the vote in 1984. Now the country could get its first female prime minister". The Independent. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Präsentation des VU-Regierungsteams für die Landtagswahlen 2025". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 19 August 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Ernst Walch tritt als Regierungschef für die FBP an". FBP Liechtenstein (in German). 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Präsentation des FBP-Regierungsteams für die Landtagswahlen 2025". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  20. ^ Quaderer, Elias (14 August 2024). "Ernst Walch will FBP-Regierungschef werden – aber nur für vier Jahre". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  21. ^ "Landtagspräsident tritt nicht mehr an". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 9 October 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  22. ^ Sele, David (22 October 2024). "Trendumfrage: Mehrheit will eine Regierung ohne Ernst Walch". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  23. ^ Sele, David (28 February 2024). "Nur 25 Prozent wollen eine Grosse Koalition aus FBP und VU". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  24. ^ Sele, David (15 October 2024). "Wahlen 2025: FBP zeigt sich offen für andere Koalitionspartner". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  25. ^ "VU-Chefkandidatin Haas ist für Grosse Koalition". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 3 November 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  26. ^ a b Sele, David (3 July 2024). "Trend: VU und FBP stürzen ab, DpL auf 23 Prozent". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  27. ^ Sele, David (16 October 2024). "DpL-Präsident Rehak: «Das ist in erster Linie ein Warnschuss an die VU»". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  28. ^ Sele, David (22 October 2024). "Regierungsteams holen FBP und VU aus Umfragetief". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  29. ^ Goop, Dunja (13 July 2023). "Thomas Milic zu DpL-Umfragehoch: «Das wäre ein Jahrhundertergebnis»". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). Retrieved 28 July 2024.
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