VU on the dissolution of the state parliament: new elections would unnecessarily weaken Liechtenstein – Liechtenstein
VADUZ – On Monday, the well-known opponent of corona measures, Werner Stocker, announced an initiative to dissolve the state parliament and gathered an initiative committee around him. The VU is now commenting on the initiative in a media release: It respects this right, but sees no added value in this specific case. In her opinion, a dissolution of the state parliament would do more harm than good to Liechtenstein, which is why she rejects the initiative.
On Monday it became known that some citizens are trying to dissolve the state parliament, which was newly elected last year, in order to hold new elections. The request of the initiators is justified with the claim that the state parliament is too passive in the current corona crisis. The Patriotic Union (VU) respects every exercise of political rights by committed citizens and generally finds it positive when people actively participate in the political process.
But there must also be a certain understanding of the separation of powers. In times, the government acts primarily with crises in order to be able to react flexibly to constantly changing situations. The majority of the state parliament has supported the government’s pandemic management over the past two years because the separation of powers has proven itself in the crisis, explains VU parliamentary group leader Manfred Kaufmann in the broadcast.
Doubtful motive
VU party president Thomas Zwiefelhofer also doubts the motives behind the initiative: “One could get the impression that, in addition to the personal and general dissatisfaction with politics, which only marginally has to do with the behavior of the state parliament, there is also a connection with of the newly founded anti-corona measures party, »Zwiefelhofer is quoted as saying.
However, he does not expect major changes in corona policy from new elections, which he sees as confirmed by the results of the two referendums in Switzerland. “Conversely, however, you would certainly weaken the country if you re-elected parliament in this difficult phase and produced additional friction losses in the system with election campaigns, coalition negotiations, government formation, etc.,” warns Zwiefelhofer.
Gunilla Marxer Kranz. (Photo: Michael Zanghellini)
Common final phase
Vice-President of the State Parliament Gunilla Marxer-Kranz is also confident in the broadcast: “We have managed this crisis well so far”. After all, everything happens when it comes to the pandemic, in an international context, and Liechtenstein has taken the right course in comparison. On the part of the state parliament, the measures were dealt with in a special corona agenda and the government was repeatedly asked to comment.
In addition, there is now light at the end of the tunnel if things are similar to other pandemics in human history. That is why, according to Marxer-Kranz, one should now “not throw the baby out with the bathwater and generate unnecessary costs in the supposed final phase of the pandemic.”