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%.

Incumbent prime minister Mario Frick of the VU sought re-election 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. As a result, the VU and FBP formed a coalition government, ultimately under the leadership of Mario Frick. 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.

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. His government also signed a value-added tax treaty with Switzerland in 1994.

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. 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%. 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. Voting is compulsory by law, and those who fail to vote without a valid reason may be fined, but this is no longer enforced. Citizens over 20 years of age who have been resident in the country for one month prior to election day were eligible to vote. 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.

Campaign

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. The party's program included improvement's to public transport, educational reform, equal rights for men and women, and a balanced budget. Party president Oswald Kranz criticized "some other parties" to having contributed to an increasingly negative political climate in Liechtenstein through persistent criticism.

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".

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. 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". 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.

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

Candidates Political parties must have the support of 30 voters from a constituency to be eligible to nominate a candidate list in it. A total of 67 candidates were presented for the election; 47 men and 20 women. OberlandFBPVUFL Hedi Beck Christian Brunhart Arthur Büchel David Falk Gebhard Hoch Elmar Kindle Helmut Konrad Elisabeth Marxer-Ospelt Marco Ospelt Werner Ospelt Pio Schurti Peter Sele Karlheinz Vogt Klaus Wanger Harald Bühler Norbert Bürzle Erina Frick Fridolin Frick Magdalena Frommelt Walter Hartmann Lorenz Heeb Dorothée Laternser Karlheinz Ospelt Volker Rheinberger Hubert Sele Peter Sprenger Walter Vogt Ronny Walser Peter Wolff Evelyne Bermann Jutta Büchel Kaspar Frick René Hasler Claudia Heeb-Fleck Christel Hilti-Kaufmann Hans Frommelt Helen Marxer-Bulloni Nikolaus Ruther Paul Vogt Markus WilleUnterlandFBPVUFL Otmar Hasler Arno Kind Rudolf Lampert Gabriel Marxer Johannes Matt Felix Näscher Gaudenz Öhri Roswitha Schafhauser Herlinde Tiefenthaler-Mündle Renate Wohlwend Otto Büchel Hansjörg Goop Ingrid Hassler-Gerner Oswald Kranz Isolde Lanter Viktor Meier Manfred Nipp Donath Oehri Ossi Oehri Susanne Schneider Ingrid Allaart-Batliner Linda Mündle-Büchel Egon Matt Adolf Ritter Dominik Sele Rosemarie Schädler-MattSource: Liechtensteiner Volksblatt

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. The FBP received 39.2% of the vote, a 2.1% decrease from 1997 and won ten seats at a decrease of one. It was the lowest electoral result in the FBP's history to that point. 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.

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

By electoral district

Electoral districtSeatsPartyElected membersSubstitutesVotes%SwingSeats+/–Oberland15Patriotic Union63,86050.9 0.1980Progressive Citizens' Party47,14337.5 2.3460Free List14,38211.4 2.3910Unterland10Patriotic Union18,89544.2 2.9850Progressive Citizens' Party18,74843.9 1.984 1Free List5,06711.9 4.951 1Source: Liechtensteiner Volksblatt

Aftermath

Following the election, the VU invited the FBP to begin negotiations the formation of a coalition government. 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, ending the coalition government formed by the two parties that had existed since 1938. The party cited its desire to go into the opposition as a means to renew the party's political identity. 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. The new government was sworn in on 14 April 1997.

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%. 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.

See also Elections in Liechtenstein List of Liechtenstein general elections

References

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