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2004 In Review Part One

© James Foster Robinson

2004 was an eventful year in many areas. For such a small country, it made an impact in the international community. In March the Liechtenstein parliament ratified the EEA Enlargement Treaty. In January the Council of Europe decided to enter into a dialogue with Liechtenstein on its recent constitutional changes rather then setting up a monitoring commission. On 27 September, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe met representatives of parliament in Vaduz to discuss the terms of procedure for the upcoming dialogue on the Constitution.

In July Liechtenstein's deficit in the implementation of EEA Directives into national law had increased from 1.1 to 2.1 percent nearly doubling according to the Internal Market Scoreboard published simultaneously by the EU Commission and by the EFTA Surveillance Agency ESA. The EFTA Surveillance Agency ESA announced on 7 July that it would take a legal dispute with Liechtenstein on a regulation in the Banking Law to the EFTA Court. Also in July the EFTA Surveillance Agency ESA sent three reasoned opinions regarding failure to comply with three regulations to the Liechtenstein government.

In September Liechtenstein became a nuclear free zone when Parliament ratifies the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. In November Liechtenstein lost to Sweden the chance to chair the United Nations General Assembly. It was still considered an honor that the little country was even asked to submit a candidate.

The Royal family and Government were often in the news. In February Prince Hans-Adam II made his last speech from the throne at the opening of parliament. The Prince looked back on a successful year in 2003 where he had achieved his foreign political goals, revised the constitution and the House Law of his family and reorganized his assets. He called upon the citizens of Liechtenstein to support Hereditary Prince Alois who was to take over the princely duties as his deputy on 15 August 2004 the Liechtenstein National Day.

Prince Hans Moritz of Liechtenstein died in a hospital in Tulln, Austria, on 3 February 2003 at the age of 89. At the end of April, Prince Hans-Adam II and Princess Marie received the "OscArt 2004" for their efforts in presenting the Princely Art collection in the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna.

In March work on the new parliamentary building was halted due to a cost overrun. Parliament has to decide how much they are willing to spend to finish it. Prince Hans-Adam II handed over the sovereign powers to Hereditary Prince Alois on 15 August, Liechtenstein's National Day. Prince Alois will represent his father, Prince Hans-Adam II, as head of state. In two plebiscites held in April, the 31.5-million-Franc guarantee credit for the expansion of the police head quarters was turned down with 68.3 percent no-votes as well as the abolition of state subsidies to the non-industrial injury insurance premiums by two thirds or 66.2 percent of voters. On 15 September, the Liechtenstein parliament unanimously approved a change to the People's Rights Act so that voters could cast their ballots by mail. In the past, the sick or hospitalized and those living temporarily abroad were allowed to vote by mail after getting a special permit. In the October session of parliament five regular and five alternate judges were appointed to the Constitutional Court. In December Head of Government Otmar Hasler swore them in.