Liechtenstein · Government
Government and administration in Liechtenstein
How the executive, legislature and administrative state are organised, and which body is responsible for what.
The three branches
- Head of State — The Reigning Prince
- Retains a genuine veto over legislation, may dismiss the government and issue emergency decrees.
- Executive — Government (Regierung)
- Prime Minister and four councillors, appointed by the Prince on the Landtag’s proposal.
- Legislative — Landtag
- Unicameral, 25 members elected by proportional representation for four years.
- Judicial — Courts, with a joint appointment committee
- Judges are selected by a committee chaired by the Prince and elected by the Landtag.
- The electorate — Referendums and initiatives
- 1,000 citizens can force a vote on a statute; 1,500 on a constitutional amendment.
How legislation is made
A bill is debated and adopted by the Landtag, then requires the sanction of the Reigning Prince, whose refusal is absolute and not overridable. Statutes may be subjected to a referendum on the demand of 1,000 citizens or of the Landtag itself, and are published in the Landesgesetzblatt.
Enforcement institutions
- Staatsanwaltschaft
- The public prosecutor’s office, which directs criminal proceedings.
- Landespolizei
- The national police force, cooperating closely with Swiss and Austrian authorities.
- Financial Market Authority (FMA)
- Supervises banks, insurers, funds and trustees, a central part of the economy.
Government bodies and regulators
- executiveNational Administration (llv.li)Central portal for government offices and services.
- independentData Protection Authority (Datenschutzstelle)Supervises the GDPR as applied via the EEA.
- executiveTax Administration (Steuerverwaltung)Administers income, corporate and wealth taxation.
- executiveMigration and Passport OfficeHandles residence permits and the residence quota.
- independentFinancial Market Authority (FMA)Supervises banks, trustees and the financial sector.
- executiveOffice of Justice (Amt für Justiz)Maintains the commercial and land registers.
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