1945 Liechtenstein general election

none August 2026 August 2026 Liechtenstein 1939 1949 29 April 1945 1945 Liechtenstein general election All 15 seats in the Landtag 8 93.36% Progressive Citizens' Party Josef Hoop 54.72 8 8 Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein) Otto Schaedler 45.28 7 7 Prime Minister Josef Hoop Progressive Citizens' Party Josef Hoop Progressive Citizens' Party 1939 Liechtenstein election map.svg Results by constituency Results by constituency 1937 List of members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (1939–1945) General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 29 April 1945 to elect the 15 members of the Landtag.Nohlen Stöver 2010 1164 Following the "silent elections" of 1939, they were the first to use the new proportional representation system which had been introduced the same year. The Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) won eight seats and retained its majority, while the Patriotic Union (VU) won seven. Voter turnout was 93.4%. The elections were originally set to be held in 1943, as per the Constitution of Liechtenstein, but the government's term had been extended indefinitely by Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein in order to prevent the German National Movement in Liechtenstein (VBDL) from entering the Landtag during World War II. Following the elections, the coalition government between the FBP and VU under the leadership of prime minister Josef Hoop remained, but he would resign in September and be succeeded by Alexander Frick. Background 1939 Liechtenstein general election Liechtenstein in World War II thumb|350x350px|Josef Hoop (left) and VU president Otto Schaedler (right) pictured in 1938 In March 1938, following the Anschluss of Austria, the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) and opposition Patriotic Union (VU) formed a coalition government under the leadership of Josef Hoop.Büchel Donat 31 December 2011 Märzkrise https://historisches-lexikon.li/M%C3%A4rzkrise?marker=1938 28 August 2024 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de 26 December 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20241226150646/https://historisches-lexikon.li/M%C3%A4rzkrise?marker=1938 live March crisis A compromise of this coalition was the introduction of proportional representation to the country, which was introduced unanimously in January 1939.2007 Parteien in Liechtenstein 1921–1943 Parties in Liechtenstein 1921–1943 https://www.fuerstundvolk.li/fuv/fuv.do?site=421174076f221000996d610c1957690b dead https://web.archive.org/web/20251116091657/https://www.fuerstundvolk.li/fuv/fuv.do?site=421174076f221000996d610c1957690b 16 November 2025 15 May 2023 Fürst und Volk: Staatskunde von Liechtenstein de Article thirty of the new law allowed for one or more parties, representing at least 80% of the vote share in the previous election to propose a joint list of candidates, and for them to be declared elected while excluding other parties.Gesetz vom 18. Januar 1939 - über die Einführung des Verhältniswahlrechtes https://www.gesetze.li/lilexprod/lgpage2.jsp?formname=showlaw&lgblid=1939004000&version=0&search_loc=text&lgblid_von=1939004000&sel_lawtype=chrono&rechts_gebiet=0&menu=0&tablesel=0&observe_date=26.02.2016 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20170202041112/https://www.gesetze.li/lilexprod/lgpage2.jsp?formname=showlaw&lgblid=1939004000&version=0&search_loc=text&lgblid_von=1939004000&sel_lawtype=chrono&rechts_gebiet=0&menu=0&tablesel=0&observe_date=26.02.2016#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url 2 February 2017 28 August 2024 Liechtensteinische Landesverwaltung de Act of 18 January 1939 – on the introduction of proportional representation As such, the previous 1939 elections were only used to assign a roughly equal number of seats to each party in the Landtag, and thus became known as the "silent elections" as no actual voting took place. This clause was enacted as neither party wanted an election campaign that would jeopardize the coalition or allow the Nazi German National Movement in Liechtenstein (VBDL) to gain support.Büchel Donat 31 December 2011 Stille Wahl https://historisches-lexikon.li/Stille_Wahl?marker=Wahl 15 January 2024 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de 7 September 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240907201601/https://historisches-lexikon.li/Stille_Wahl?marker=Wahl live Silent election As per the Constitution of Liechtenstein, the next elections were set to be held in February 1943. However at the request of both the FBP and VU, on 18 February 1943 Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein extended the government's term indefinitely via emergency decree to avoid an election campaign during World War II and prevent the VBDL from potentially gaining seats in the Landtag.Geiger 2010 104–109 On 26 March 1945, Franz Joseph II called for new elections; it was the first election in which voting took place since the 1936 elections.Geiger 2010 485 A referendum was previously held on 18 March that proposed to increase the amount of seats in the Landtag from 15 to 21, but it was overwhelmingly rejected by voters.Geiger 1998 61 Electoral system The 15 members of the Landtag were elected by open list proportional representation from two constituencies, Oberland with 9 seats and Unterland with 6 seats.Marxer Wilfried Wilfried Marxer Frommelt Fabian 31 December 2011 Wahlsysteme https://historisches-lexikon.li/Wahlsysteme?marker=Gemeindewahlen 17 November 2024 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de Electoral systems 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.Nohlen Stöver 2010 1159 The electoral threshold to win a seat is 18%. Landtag members sit for a four-year term.Vogt Paul Paul Vogt (historian) 31 December 2011 Landtag State parliament https://historisches-lexikon.li/Landtag 8 September 2026 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de Once formed, the Landtag elects the prime minister and two government councillors who govern in a cabinet. The prime minister is appointed for a six-year term, while government councillors sit a four-year term.Vogt Paul Paul Vogt (historian) 31 December 2011 Regierung https://historisches-lexikon.li/Regierung live https://web.archive.org/web/20230721135630/https://historisches-lexikon.li/Regierung 21 July 2023 13 January 2025 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de Government Only men aged 21 and above were eligible to vote.Marxer Wilfried Wilfried Marxer Frommelt Fabian 31 December 2011 Stimm- und Wahlrecht https://historisches-lexikon.li/Stimm-_und_Wahlrecht 28 July 2026 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de Right to vote and right to stand for electionFrick Julia 31 December 2011 Frauenstimm- und -wahlrecht https://historisches-lexikon.li/Frauenstimm-_und_-wahlrecht 7 December 2024 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de Women's suffrage and the right to vote The 18% threshold to win seats, considered to be very high, was primarily intended to prevent the VDBL from winning seats in the Landtag.Nohlen Stöver 2010 1164 Campaign The March 1945 edition of the magazine Die Jugend, published by Rover Scouts in Liechtenstein, called for people to vote for parties that "stood firmly for God, the Prince, and the Fatherland" and not "former fascists or fascist sympathisers", nor for the "indecisive" or "fair-weather politicians".Geiger 1998 62 The FBP in its newspaper Liechtensteiner Volksblatt echoed similar sentiment,Geiger 1998 62 and also criticized the VU for its weak stance against the VDBL during the war.Geiger Peter Peter Geiger 31 December 2011 Zweiter Weltkrieg Second World War https://historisches-lexikon.li/Zweiter_Weltkrieg live https://web.archive.org/web/20250214053106/https://historisches-lexikon.li/Zweiter_Weltkrieg 14 February 2025 18 November 2023 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de On the other hand, the VU appealed to workers and tradespeople while also highlighting the achievements of its predecessor, the Christian-Social People's Party.28 April 1945 Ich wähle die Liste der Vaterländischen Union I am voting for the Patriotic Union list https://www.eliechtensteinensia.li/viewer/image/000469834_1945-04-28_19450428/139/#topDocAnchor 6 August 2026 Liechtensteiner Vaterland 1 & 3 de The VDBL, for its part, was effectively defunct and played no role in the election campaign. Due to wartime censorship measures still being in effect in Liechtenstein, the election campaign was ultimately timid.Geiger 1998 62 Candidates Political parties in Liechtenstein require the support of 30 voters from a constituency to be eligible to nominate a candidate list in it.Bekanntmachung https://www.eliechtensteinensia.li/viewer/!image/000469834_1953-01-21_19530121/35/-/ 4 August 2026 de 21 January 1953 Liechtensteiner Vaterland 1 Notice A total of 30 candidates contested the election. OberlandFBPVUDavid Strub Bernhard Risch Richard Meier Ernst Risch Fidel Brunhart Louis Brunhart Josef Negele Franz Eberle Johann BeckAlois Ritter Josef Sele Franz Hilbe Alois Wille Florian Kindle Heinrich Andreas Brunhart Alois Schädler Johann Wachter Alexander SeleUnterlandFBPVUEugen Schädler Rudolf Marxer Oswald Bühler Johann Georg Hasler Franz Hoop Philipp ElkuchJosef Marxer Arnold Hoop Chrisostomus Öhri Alois Hassler Anton Gchächle Ludwig MarockSource: Liechtensteiner Volksblatt1 May 1945 Die Wahlen zum Landtag https://www.eliechtensteinensia.li/viewer/image/000476564_1945-05-01_19450501/267/LOG_0053/ 26 June 2026 Liechtensteiner Volksblatt 1 de The state parliament elections Results The seat distribution remained unchanged from the 1939 elections, with the FBP winning winning a majority of eight seats, whereas the VU won seven. Voter turnout was 93.36%.Vogt 1987 211File:Landtag liechtenstein 1945-1970.svg Progressive Citizens' Party 1553 8 0 Patriotic Union 1285 7 0 68 0 3088 VogtVogt 1987 211 By electoral district Electoral districtSeatsElectoratePartyElected membersSubstitutesVotes%Seats wonOberland92,032Patriotic Union*Alois Ritter Josef Sele Florian Kindle Heinrich Andreas Brunhart Johann Wachter*Alois Wille Alexander Sele97251.95Progressive Citizens' Party*David Strub Johann Beck Fidel Brunhart Josef Negele*Ernst Risch Louis Brunhart90148.14Unterland61,056Progressive Citizens' Party*Eugen Schädler Philipp Elkuch Johann Georg Hasler Franz Xaver Hoop*Rudolf Marxer Oswald Bühler65267.64Patriotic Union*Josef Marxer Alois Hassler*Chrisostomus Öhri Ludwig Marock31332.42Source: VogtVogt 1987 211 Aftermath The election results were largely seen as a confirmation of the distribution of seats between the FBP and VU that had been dictated in the 1939 elections.Geiger 1998 62 Of the Landtag members elected, approximately two-thirds of them were newcomers; this high turnover of members from the previous election has been accredited to exhaustion from holding the position during wartime, and also reflecting a shift towards new leadership for the post-war period.Geiger 2010 485 Following the elections, the coalition government between the FBP and VU under Josef Hoop remained.Mitglieder der Regierung des Fürstentums Liechtenstein 1862-2021 https://www.regierung.li/files/attachments/Regierungsmitglieder-1862-2021-stand-0421.pdf?t=638338392447228367 live https://web.archive.org/web/20240216125957/https://www.regierung.li/files/attachments/Regierungsmitglieder-1862-2021-stand-0421.pdf?t=638338392447228367 16 February 2024 15 February 2024 www.regierung.li deMarxer Wilfried Wilfried Marxer 31 December 2011 Koalition Coalition https://historisches-lexikon.li/Koalition 28 August 2024 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de https://web.archive.org/web/20260801223746/https://historisches-lexikon.li/Koalition 1 August 2026 live However, Hoop would resign as prime minister in September amidst pressure from Franz Joseph II to do so, as the prince believed that post-war Liechtenstein required a change of leadership; this de facto dismissal of Hoop angered many within the FBP.Geiger Peter Peter Geiger 31 December 2011 Hoop, Josef (1895–1959) https://historisches-lexikon.li/Hoop,_Josef_(1895–1959) live https://web.archive.org/web/20250602203159/https://historisches-lexikon.li/Hoop,_Josef_(1895–1959) 2 June 2025 26 October 2022 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de He was succeeded by Alexander Frick, who maintained the coalition government,Frommelt Fabian 31 December 2011 Frick, Alexander https://historisches-lexikon.li/Frick,_Alexander?marker=Alexander+Frick 18 May 2023 Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein de and in 1946 at the request of Franz Joseph II it was declared binding.Brunhart 1986 47 References Bibliography Nohlen Dieter Dieter Nohlen Elections in Europe: A data handbook Stöver Philip 2010 Nomos 978-3-8329-5609-7 Geiger Peter Peter Geiger Kriegszeit: Liechtenstein 1939 bis 1945 Chronos Verlag 2010 978-3-906393-49-0 2 Zürich de Wartime: Liechtenstein 1939 to 1945 Geiger Peter Peter Geiger https://www.eliechtensteinensia.li/viewer/image/000000453_95/53/LOG_0006/ Am Rande der Brandung Historischer Verein für das Fürstentum Liechtenstein 1998 95 Vaduz de On the Edge of the Surf Liechtenstein State Library Vogt Paul Paul Vogt (historian) 125 Jahre Landtag 1987 Landtag of the Principality of Liechtenstein Vaduz de 125 Years of the State Parliament Brunhart Arthur Arthur Brunhart https://www.eliechtensteinensia.li/viewer/image/000468232/1/LOG_0000/ 50 Jahre für Liechtenstein 1986 Vaterländische Union Vaduz de 50 Years for Liechtenstein Liechtenstein State Library Liechtenstein General Category:General elections in Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Category:Premiership of Josef Hoop Category:Liechtenstein in World War II