Parliament of the Principality of Liechtenstein
| logo | Parliament building |
|---|---|
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| Basic data | |
| Seat: | Vaduz |
| Legislative period : | four years |
| First session: | 1818 |
| MPs: | 25th |
| Current legislative period | |
| Last choice: | 5th February 2017 |
| Next choice: | February 2021 |
| Chair: |
State Parliament President Albert Frick ( FBP ) |
| Distribution of seats: |
Government (16)
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| Website | |
| www.landtag.li | |
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The Landtag of the Principality of Liechtenstein consists of 25 members and is a relatively small parliament by international standards . The President of the State Parliament and the Vice-President of the State Parliament are elected for the current year at the opening session.
The Principality of Liechtenstein is in accordance with the Constitution , "a constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic and parliamentary basis." The state parliament is the representative and “organ” of the people and as such is called upon to safeguard their rights and interests. The seat of the state parliament is the state parliament building in Vaduz , which opened in 2008 .
Current composition
In the state elections on February 5, 2017, the previously dominant party emerged as the big loser. The Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) lost 4.8 percent. As the second strongest force, the Fatherland Union (VU) won 0.2 percent of the vote. The electoral group The Independent (DU) improved their last result by 3.1 percentage points to 18.4 percent of the vote and won five instead of four seats. The small opposition party Free List (FL) also grew and still holds three seats in the state parliament.
After Johannes Kaiser left the FBP in 2017, he became an independent member of the state parliament. The number of seats in the FBP was reduced to eight. In 2019, however, he rejoined the FBP. The faction of the Independent Party split in August 2018. Three MPs formed the New Fraction (NF) and founded the Democrats for Liechtenstein Party (DPL). The remaining two members of the DU became non-attached.
| Political party | Share of voters in percent |
Change in percent |
Number of mandates |
Change seats |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Citizens Party (FBP) | 35.2 | −4.8 | 9 | -1 | |
| Patriotic Union (VU) | 33.7 | +0.2 | 8th | ± 0 | |
| The independents (YOU) | 18.4 | +3.1 | 5 | +1 | |
| Free List (FL) | 12.6 | +1.5 | 3 | ± 0 |
history
The state parliament as an institution was created by the absolutist constitution of 1818. The two estates, the clergy and the communities , were given the right to be represented by "deputies". The clergy elected three pastors to the state parliament. The communities were represented by the eleven community leaders and the sacking masters (i.e. community cashiers). The state parliament was convened by the prince once a year for a meeting. The state parliament had no rights; its function was solely to "gratefully" agree to the annual tax requirement.
Constitution of 1862
The history of Liechtenstein parliamentarism begins with the constitutional constitution of 1862. The state parliament has now become a real representative body , most of which emerged from free elections. The number of deputies was reduced to 15: three deputies were appointed by the prince , twelve were elected indirectly by the people. In each municipality , two electors were initially elected for every 100 inhabitants from the men who were only entitled to vote. These then in turn elected the deputies in an electoral meeting. The state parliament now had the right to participate in state tasks, not yet in all of them, but in the most important. He possessed henceforth the right to participate in legislation , the right to consent in important international treaties , the right to approve taxes ( fiscal autonomy ), the right to control the state administration and the right to participate in the Militäraushebung.
Constituencies
The two historical landscapes had been eliminated in absolutism . Although the subjects held on to it with tenacious resistance, the constitution of 1862 did not reverse the creation of a unitary state . In the so-called coin confusion of 1877, in which the Unterländer vigorously defended themselves against the introduction of the gold currency , the conflict revived. In 1878 the country was divided into two constituencies based on the earlier judicial communities : In the constituency Oberland there were now seven members to be elected , in the constituency Unterland five. To this end, the prince appointed two representatives from the Oberland and one from the Unterland. The new constitution of 1921 brought about direct popular elections; the total number of 15 MPs and the 60:40 ratio between Upper and Lower Country remained the same. This ratio was retained when it was increased to 25 MPs in 1988, although this ratio does not correspond to the number of inhabitants in the two constituencies.
1921 Constitution
With the constitution of 1921, the State of Liechtenstein was placed on a new basis. The monarchical and the democratic principle are on an equal footing with one another. Since then, many state functions can only be exercised if various state organs work together. Compared to the constitution of 1862, the idea that the state has a “democratic and parliamentary basis” was fundamentally new. The people received extensive direct democratic rights. The sovereign renounced the right to appoint three members, that is, the state parliament became a pure representative body.
The rights of parliament have been significantly expanded: since then, the government has been formed through cooperation between the prince and the state parliament, with the state parliament having the right to make proposals. It was also new at the time that the state parliament elects the judges .
The secret and direct right to vote was not introduced until 1918. Since then, the MPs have been elected by the electorate. Until 1939 the elections were based on the majority voting system . Under the impression of an external threat, a truce was concluded between the feuding parties shortly before the Second World War , which necessitated the change to the proportional representation system.
At the same time, an 18 percent threshold was introduced in the electoral law to keep extreme forces out of the state parliament. This threshold was lifted by the State Court in 1962 because it had no constitutional basis. In 1973 a new threshold clause of 8 percent was added to the constitution. Initiatives to abolish or lower this threshold clause have so far failed.
tasks
legislation
The main task of the state parliament is to participate in legislation . No law can be enacted or amended without the state parliament. In addition to the sovereign and the people, the state parliament has the right to take constitutional and legislative initiatives ; In practice, most bills are drawn up by the government or its experts . The state parliament can reject bills to the government or form its own commissions to revise them.
An advocacy debate takes place on every bill; this is usually followed by two readings and a final vote . In the advocacy debate, a decision is made as to whether the state parliament even wants to advocate a proposal. Suggestions can be made in the first reading, which the government will review by the second reading. In the second reading, each article is voted on.
For a law to be valid , apart from the consent of the Landtag, it also requires the Prince's sanction, the countersignature of the Head of Government and the announcement in the State Law Gazette .
Every law passed by the Landtag but not declared as urgent by it and every international treaty approved by it is subject to an optional referendum .
State treaties
State treaties that dispose of sovereign rights, that take on a new burden or that interfere with the rights of nationals, must be submitted to the state parliament. The state parliament cannot amend a state treaty signed by the government, it can only accept or reject it as a whole.
Financial sovereignty
The state budget is drawn up by the government and passed by the state parliament. He has the right to change individual items. If the government needs additional money for new tasks in the course of the year or if individual budget items are exceeded, it must obtain a supplementary loan from the state parliament. In the case of projects that involve financial obligations over several years, the government must ask the state parliament for a commitment loan.
Government formation
A central task of the state parliament is the formation of a functioning government. The state parliament elects the members of the government at the beginning of its four-year term of office , whereby this election formally only represents an appointment proposal for the prince's attention. This has no free right of appointment, but is bound to a proposal of the state parliament. Conversely, the Landtag can apply to the Prince to remove government members from office if he loses confidence in them. The government needs the confidence of the state parliament throughout its term of office.
Elective business
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The Landtag is responsible for various election matters: In addition to the government, it also elects the administrative and supervisory boards of the state institutions, the members of individual commissions and the foundation council of the State Art Collection .
The choice of judges in the civil and criminal courts is made by a body jointly appointed by the Landtag and the sovereign. The Reigning Prince has the chairmanship and the casting vote in this body. The state parliament and the sovereign can appoint an equal number of members to this body. The state parliament sends one member from each group of voters represented in the state parliament. The government sends the member of the government responsible for the judiciary. The deliberations of the committee are confidential. Candidates can only be recommended to the state parliament by the committee with the consent of the sovereign. If the Landtag elects the recommended candidate, the Prince will appoint him as a judge. If the state parliament rejects the candidate recommended by the body and no agreement can be reached on a new candidate within four weeks, then the state parliament must propose an opposing candidate and call a referendum. In the event of a referendum, citizens who are entitled to vote are also entitled to nominate candidates under the conditions of an initiative.
Control function
The state parliament has the right and the task to control the entire state administration, including the administration of justice. The state parliament on the one hand entrusts the business audit commission with this task, on the other hand it also performs this function directly by handling the annual report of the authorities and the state accounts. In addition, the MPs can put written and oral questions to the government on any area of state administration. The investigation commissions, which are appointed for specific reasons, are a strong control instrument.
Articulation function
An essential part of parliamentary work is the public discussion of the better political arguments. It is used to form opinions and to make decisions.
right
Rights of the people
The people not only have the right to elect the Landtag; with an initiative it could also force the calling of the state parliament or a referendum on its dissolution. With the right of referendum, those entitled to vote have the opportunity to pass resolutions of the state parliament to a referendum.
In the case of legislative and financial resolutions, 1,000 people entitled to vote must sign a referendum request so that it comes into effect;
Rights of the prince
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The sovereign has various options for influencing the resolutions of the state parliament, but also its existence in general. Every law requires the approval of the prince (sanction), as do financial decisions. The prince only makes use of his rights after the referendum period has expired - or at most after the positive outcome of a referendum.
The prince has the right, without prejudice to the necessary cooperation of the government, to represent the state externally. State treaties through which sovereign or popular rights are impaired or which entail new burdens are subject to the approval of the state parliament.
The sovereign has the right to convene the state parliament at the beginning of the year and to close it at the end of the year. Without this proper convocation, the state parliament has no right of self-assembly during the year. During the year, the Reigning Prince can adjourn or dissolve the Landtag for a maximum of three months for significant reasons.
organization
plenum
The Liechtenstein Parliament consists of 25 members. He exercises his rights in the sessions of the entire state parliament. As a rule, detailed advice on laws also takes place in plenary sessions. It is therefore characterized as a "working parliament". Compared to other parliaments, few tasks are delegated to commissions. Insofar as commissions are formed, these are largely only responsible for preparing certain business for the entire state parliament and for formulating corresponding proposals.
MPs
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All MPs are militia parliamentarians; they exercise their mandate alongside their job. You will receive an annual compensation and a daily allowance. They receive a fee for each day of the meeting for preparatory work. MEPs cannot be legally prosecuted for their statements in parliament. They enjoy immunity insofar as they may only be arrested during the session with the consent of the state parliament.
President of the Landtag
The President of the State Parliament and the Vice-President of the State Parliament are elected for the current year at the opening session. The President of the State Parliament calls the meetings during the year; he chairs the meetings and represents the state parliament externally. The vice-president of the state parliament represents him if he is unable to attend.
Standing commissions
In the opening session, the state parliament elects three permanent commissions for the current year: the foreign policy commission, the finance commission and the business audit commission. Only the Finance Commission has decision-making powers, as it can decide on certain financial transactions (such as land purchases). All standing commissions consist of five members.
Special commissions
According to the rules of procedure, the state parliament can also appoint special commissions. These can consist of three or five members. Their term of office ends with the completion of the order, but at the latest when the mandate period expires. It is the task of the special commissions to prepare individual laws or other business transactions and to submit proposals to the entire state assembly. The EEA Commission examines planned EEA legal provisions to determine whether they require the approval of the state parliament. Investigative commissions are designed as a strong minority right: At the request of only seven members, the state parliament is obliged to appoint an investigative commission.
Parliamentary delegations
At the beginning of a term of office, the state parliament elects the delegations to the international parliamentary bodies in which it participates. There are two delegates and two deputies each for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe ; the EFTA / EEA Parliamentary Committees and the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee; the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE as well as four delegates for the Interparliamentary Union (IPU) and three delegates for the Parliamentary Commission on Lake Constance . These delegations are elected for the entire term of office, i.e. for four years.
State Parliament Office
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The Landtag office consists of: Landtag President, Landtag Vice-President and the parliamentary group speakers. The Landtag secretary belongs to it in an advisory capacity. The State Parliament Office advises the President, in particular on preparing the agenda for the State Parliament sessions; it draws up the budget of the state parliament and decides on the employment of staff for the state parliament secretariat.
Secretary
In the opening session of each year, the state parliament elects two secretaries. You officiate as a teller.
State Parliament Secretariat
The state parliament secretariat consists of the state secretary, his deputy and several employees. The main tasks of the state parliament secretariat are the preparation of the minutes of the state parliament and commission meetings, the support of the president, the MPs, the commissions and the parliamentary delegations as well as the procurement of information for the MPs. It is also generally responsible for reading out the documents in plenary. The state secretary and his deputy are elected by the state parliament in public.
Factions
The parliamentary groups form the bridge between the parties and the parliamentarians: Before a business is dealt with in the state parliament, the parliamentarians meet for internal parliamentary groups. These serve to form a common opinion. This does not result in a parliamentary group, but a certain group discipline. The opinion of the parliamentary group is announced in the state parliament by the parliamentary group spokesman. The political groups are entitled to their own meeting room. At least three members are required to form a parliamentary group.
State Committee
The state committee safeguards the rights of the entire state parliament if the state parliament is not in session and therefore cannot perform its functions (i.e. from closing at the end of a year to reopening at the beginning of the following year or in the event of an adjournment or dissolution of the state parliament). The state committee consists of the president of the state parliament and four other members of parliament, whereby the two regions are to be considered equally. The state committee cannot enter into a permanent obligation for the state.
Rules of Procedure
The tasks and the working methods of the state parliament are regulated in the constitution and in the rules of procedure.
State elections
Constituencies
The 25 MPs are elected in two constituencies . 15 MPs are to be elected in the Oberland constituency and 10 in the Unterland constituency.
Proportional voting, eligible voters
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The voting process is general, secret, equal and direct. All citizens of the country who are at least 18 years old and live in the country have been entitled to vote since 1984: the right to vote in Liechtenstein was decided in 1984 in a referendum and introduced after the corresponding votes had failed in 1971 and 1973. Voting is based on the proportional representation system : the mandates are initially distributed among the parties in proportion to the total number of votes received by a party (or its candidates) in a constituency. Within the party, those candidates are then considered elected who have received the most votes.
Threshold clause
Only those parties that have achieved at least 8 percent of the votes nationwide will be considered when assigning mandates.
Term of office
The term of office is four years. According to the constitution , the ordinary state elections take place in February or March of the fourth year.
Deputy MPs
A Liechtenstein peculiarity is the election of deputy members. For every three mandates that a party achieves in a constituency, it is entitled to a deputy member. Every party that is represented in the state parliament is in any case entitled to a deputy representative, so that small parties are not excluded from the deputy regulation. The function of the deputy MPs is primarily to secure the majority in parliament in the event that a representative is prevented from attending a session of the state parliament. Deputy MPs cannot be elected to state parliament commissions, but can be elected to parliamentary delegations to international organizations. This regulation was made primarily with regard to the workload of the MPs.
Representation of women
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On July 1, 1984, Liechtenstein was the last country in Europe to introduce women's voting rights . It is still difficult for women to be elected to the state parliament. In 1986 a woman was elected for the first time. In 1993 two women made it; from 1997 to 2001 there was only one female full member of parliament. In the 2005 elections, six women were elected to the state parliament. There is currently one woman among the eight deputy members.
Number of parties
The first parties were formed in 1918. Initially, only the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) and the Fatherland Union (VU) were represented in the state parliament. Since the introduction of proportional representation with an 18 percent threshold clause (since 1939, threshold clause until 1962), the elections have generally led to very narrow majority ratios, which for a long time led to the formation of coalition governments (1938–1997, again since 2005), 1993 With the Free List (FL), a third party overcame the “hurdle” for the first time since the introduction of the new threshold clause of 8 percent (1973) and made it into the state parliament. In 2013, Die Independent (du) entered the state parliament as another party with 15.3 percent of the votes and four seats, which the voters confirmed in 2017 with 18.4 percent of the votes and five seats.
Voting participation
The turnout is traditionally very high Liechtenstein. In the state elections on February 11, 2001 it was 86.7 percent, in 2005 it was still 86.5 percent. In the following state elections, however, the turnout continued to decline: 2009: 84.6 percent, 2013: 79.8 percent and in 2017 was only 77.8 percent.
Election results
The following graph shows the election results since the first application of the proportional representation system in 1945. Two elections were held in 1953 and 1993 respectively.
See also
Web links
- Official website of the Liechtenstein Parliament
- Election results 1945-1997 (p. 346ff)
- Paul Vogt: Landtag. In: Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein .
Individual evidence
- ↑ State elections 2017 - results of February 5, 2017. In: www.landtagswahlen.li. Government Information and Communication Department, accessed February 6, 2017 .
- ^ Sebastian Goop: How Liechtenstein was the last European country to introduce women's suffrage in the summer of 1984. In: Liechtensteiner Volksblatt of September 12, 2014. On the website of the Liechtenstein Institute
- ^ Mart Martin: The Almanac of Women and Minorities in World Politics. Westview Press Boulder, Colorado, 2000, p. 234.
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Association of states :
European Union: European Parliament
Sovereign States :
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Vatican | United Kingdom: Parliament ( lower house , upper house ) | Belarus: House of Representatives , Council of the Republic | Cyprus: House of Representatives
Other (autonomous and overseas) areas :
Åland : Lagting |
Faroe Islands : Løgting |
Gibraltar : Parliament |
Guernsey : States of Guernsey |
Isle of Man : Tynwald ( House of Keys , Council on Legislation ) |
Jersey : States of Jersey
Disputed (not recognized) areas :
Kosovo: Parliament | Transnistria: Supreme Soviet | Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: Assembly of the Republic