Letter to the editor – The “gift” of coming of age
Appropriately for the birthday, the state is “giving away” a lot of new rights and obligations when it comes of age. And as is sometimes the case with “gifts” – you’re really happy about some, while you don’t really know what to do with the others. At 18, for example, you can vote, stand for political office, sign contracts and drink schnapps. But you also have to pay AHV, IV and taxes, fill out a tax return and can be prosecuted under adult criminal law. In addition to the great joy of the newly gained independence, the responsibility for administrative matters that comes with it can sometimes seem overwhelming. It is therefore not least also the task of politics that we accompany the unwrapping of the “gifts” mentioned, catch questioning looks and show why exactly these rights and obligations are given to you at 18.
Anyone residing in Liechtenstein at the time of their 18th birthday will receive the “gifts”. Only the active and passive right to vote is reserved for Liechtenstein citizens. Young adults who celebrate their majority here are very likely to have family, friends, an apprenticeship or a job – i.e. the center of their lives – in Liechtenstein. It is young people who play a key role in shaping our society, today and in the future. We should stand with them in word and deed, celebrate the new rights and explain the obligations. We should also interest them in helping to shape social life in Liechtenstein, in making their interests known and actively promoting them. Because politics begins here, not at the ballot box.
The Young Citizens’ Celebration offers a good opportunity to do this. The rights and obligations of coming of age affect all young adults in Liechtenstein, regardless of their nationality. It should therefore be a matter of course to invite all adults without exception when we take a first look at these “gifts” together.
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