Free List
Freie Liste
AbbreviationFL
LeaderPepo Frick[1]
Founded1985
HeadquartersFürst-Franz-Josef-Strasse 5
9490 Vaduz[2]
Youth wingYoung List[3]
IdeologySocial democracy[4]
Green politics[5]
Secularism[6]
Multiculturalism[6]
Representative monarchism[6]
Political positionCentre-left[7] to left-wing[8]
Colours  Green
Landtag
3 / 25
Mayors
0 / 11
Municipal Councils
5 / 104
Website
www.freieliste.li

The Free List (German: Freie Liste, FL) is a political party in Liechtenstein.[5] As of 2023, it has three seats in the Landtag of Liechtenstein and is represented in five of the local councils. It was founded in 1985 and described itself as social-democratic and green.[9]

History

The Free List ran for the first time in the 1986 state elections. In this election, and also in the 1989 election, it was unable to overcome the threshold clause.

In 1993, the Free List overcame the 8% electoral threshold for the first time with over 10% in the state elections and was also able to consolidate in the early elections in the same year with 8.5%, although this remained its worst result since then. Having increased to over 11% in 1997 and falling again somewhat in 2001, FL reached a record 13.3% of the votes in the 2005 election and thus won three out of a total of 25 mandates. In the 2009 elections, it fell to 8.9% and was only able to win one seat. In the 2013 election, its share rose again to over 11%, which in turn brought the party three mandates. In the state elections on February 5, 2017, the party gained 1.5%, but this didn't change the number of seats.

In the 2021 state election, the Free List gained 12.9%, an increase of 0.3%, but the number of seats held by the party remained the same.

Policies

The central themes of the Free List are sexual equality, social justice, solidarity, environmental protection, good public transport services and the integration of foreigners.[6] It advocates the introduction of a representative monarchy in the Principality, limiting the veto powers of the monarchs.[6] Secularist, it also criticizes the relation between the state and the Catholic Church in Liechtenstein, as well as the Archdiocese of Vaduz and the Archbishop Wolfgang Haas for their socially conservative attitude.

Youth wing

The Young List (German: Junge Liste, JL) was founded in 2019 as a young party associated with the Free List.[3] In September 2020, the youth organization presented its goals for the first time at the General Assembly of the Free List.[10]

In October 2020, Young List started collecting signatures for a petition with the aim of lowering the voting age in Liechtenstein to 16.[11][12] In May 2021, JL addressed a corresponding petition to the state parliament, which referred it to the government.

In September 2021, the Young List was constituted as a separate association.[13]

At the general assembly in August 2022, the members Daniel Lochner (from Triesen) and Samuel Schurte (from Balzers) decided to stand as mayoral candidates in the 2023 municipal elections.[14]

According to its own statements, the Young List has around 60 members (as of 2022).[15]

Electoral history

Landtag elections

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Rank Government
1986 6,582 7.06
0 / 15
 New 3rd Extra-parliamentary
1989 12,090 7.56
0 / 25
 Steady 0 Steady 3rd Extra-parliamentary
1993 (Feb) 16,724 10.38
2 / 25
 Increase 2 Steady 3rd Opposition
1993 (Oct) 13,447 8.54
1 / 25
 Decrease 1 Steady 3rd Opposition
1997 19,455 11.57
2 / 25
 Increase 1 Steady 3rd Opposition
2001 Christel Hitli 16,184 8.76
1 / 25
 Decrease 1 Steady 3rd Opposition
2005 Pepo Frick 25,273 13.03
3 / 25
 Increase 2 Steady 3rd Opposition
2009 Wolfgang Marxer 17,835 8.92
1 / 25
 Decrease 2 Steady 3rd Opposition
2013 Derya Kesci &
Pepo Frick 		21,604 11.13
3 / 25
 Increase 2 Decrease 4th Opposition
2017 24,595 12.62
3 / 25
 Steady 0 Steady 4th Opposition
2021 Conny Büchel Brühwiler
& Pepo Frick 		25,943 12.87
3 / 25
 Steady 0 Increase 3rd Opposition

References

  1. ^ "Die Freie Liste vergrössert ihren Vorstand". Freie Liste (in German). Archived from the original on 16 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Kontakt" (in German). Free List. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  3. ^ a b Wanger, Michael (2020-10-07). "Auch Junge haben Recht auf das höchste demokratische Gut" (PDF). Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  4. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2009). "Liechtenstein". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Parties and Elections in Europe".
  6. ^ a b c d e "Demokratie stärken – Freie Liste" (in German). Free List. Archived from the original on 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  7. ^ Stefanini, Sara (5 February 2017). "Liechtenstein's Populists Gain Ground". Politico. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  8. ^ "Liechtenstein populist party gains ground in parliamentary elections". Deutsche Welle. 5 February 2017.
  9. ^ "Unsere Parteipilosophie - Freie Liste" (in German). Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
  10. ^ "Petition der Jungen Liste für Wahlalter 16". Radio Liechtenstein (in German). 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  11. ^ "Junge Liste startet Unterschriftensammlung". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  12. ^ Meier, Günther (2020-11-02). "Stimmrechtsalter 16: Liechtensteiner Grüne preschen vor". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  13. ^ "Junge Liste konstituiert sich als eigener Verein". Liewo (in German). 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  14. ^ "Junge Liste stellt Vorsteherkandidaten für Triesen und Balzers auf". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 2022-08-31. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  15. ^ "Freie Liste: Partei, Landtag, Gemeinderat und mehr" (in German). Free List. Retrieved 2023-06-29.

External links

Political parties in Liechtenstein
Green parties by country
Authority control databases
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