The head of government of Liechtenstein (German: Regierungschef von Liechtenstein), known informally as the prime minister, is the chief executive of the Government of Liechtenstein and chairs the cabinet of Liechtenstein. They are appointed by the sovereign prince of Liechtenstein with the consent of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (parliament of Liechtenstein) and are expected to command the confidence of both the prince and the Landtag. The appointed head of government is typically the leader of the political party with the most seats in the Landtag or a coalition of parties. The head of government cannot be a member of the Landtag at the same time, although they should meet the eligibility requirements for that office.
- Top left: Michael Menzinger is considered the first governor of Liechtenstein.
- Top right: Leopold Freiherr von Imhof was governor during World War I.
- Bottom left: Josef Hoop was the longest-serving prime minister and held the office during World War II.
- Bottom right: Brigitte Haas is the incumbent and first female prime minister.
The position originated as Landvogt in the 14th century. The role functioned as the head of the district office (Oberamt), subordinate to the court of House of Liechtenstein. It was originally an undesired post within the court; this changed after Michael Menzinger applied for the role in 1833. The title was changed to governor (Landesverweser) as a concession following the Revolution of 1848 in Liechtenstein and was formalized upon the ratification of the 1862 constitution of Liechtenstein on 26 September. For this reason, Menzinger is considered the first governor of Liechtenstein. In 1921, a new constitution was ratified in which the office was replaced by that of the prime minister. Under this constitution, the eligibility for becoming head of government was changed to require being natural-born in Liechtenstein. However, this requirement has been considered inactive since 1992.
The incumbent prime minister has been Brigitte Haas since 10 April 2025. There are currently six living former prime ministers, with Walter Kieber being the most recent death, in 2014.
Head of government
Political parties
Independent
Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP)
Christian-Social People's Party (VP)
Patriotic Union (VU)
State administrator (1861–1921)
The Landesverweser (transl. State administrator), also known as 'Governor', was the title of the head of government from 1848 to 1921.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Cabinet | Party | Monarch (Reign) | Ref(s). | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenure | Duration | ||||||||
| 1 | Michael Menzinger (1792–1877) | 22 March 1833 – 15 March 1861 | 27 years, 358 days | — | Ind | Aloys II (1836–1858) | |||
| 2 | Karl Freiherr Haus von Hausen (1823–1889) | April 1861 – 23 September 1884 | 23 years, 5 months | Hausen | Johann II (1858–1929) | ||||
| 3 | Carl von In der Maur (1852–1913) | 23 September 1884 – 5 September 1892 | 7 years, 348 days | In der Maur I | |||||
| 4 | Friedrich Stellwag von Carion (1852–1896) | 5 September 1892 – 24 October 1896 † | 4 years, 49 days | Carion | |||||
| (3) | Carl von In der Maur (1852–1913) | 4 January 1897 – 11 December 1913 † | 16 years, 341 days | In der Maur II | |||||
| — | Josef Ospelt (1881–1962) Acting | 11 December 1913 – 1 April 1914 | 111 days | — | |||||
| 5 | Leopold Freiherr von Imhof (1869–1922) | 1 April 1914 – 13 November 1918 | 4 years, 226 days | Imhof | |||||
| — | Martin Ritter Chairman of the Provisional Executive Committee (1872–1947) | 7 November 1918 – 7 December 1918 | 30 days | Provisional Executive Committee | VP | ||||
| 6 | Prince Karl Aloys of Liechtenstein (1878–1955) | 13 December 1918 – 15 December 1920 | 1 year, 277 days | Karl Aloys | Ind | ||||
| 7 | Josef Peer (1864–1925) | 15 December 1920 – 23 March 1921 | 189 days | Peer | |||||
| 8 | Josef Ospelt (1881–1962) | 23 March 1921 – 5 October 1921 | 196 days | Ospelt | FBP | ||||
Prime Minister (1921–present)
The Regierungschef (lit. 'head of government') is the current title for the head of government. The office replaced that of State Administrator upon the ratification of the constitution of Liechtenstein on 5 October 1921.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Term of office | Cabinet | Party | Monarch (Reign) | Ref(s). | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenure | Duration | |||||||||
| 1 | Josef Ospelt (1881–1962) | — | 5 October 1921 – 4 May 1922 | 211 days | Ospelt | FBP | Johann II (1858–1929) | |||
| — | Alfons Feger (1856–1933) Acting | 4 May 1922 – 1 June 1922 | 28 days | — | VP | |||||
| — | Felix Gubelmann (1880–1929) Acting | 1 June 1922 – 6 June 1922 | 5 days | FBP | ||||||
| 2 | Gustav Schädler (1883–1961) | 1922 1926 (Jan) 1926 (Apr) | 10 June 1922 – 24 June 1928 | 6 years, 16 days | Schädler | VP | ||||
| — | Prince Alfred Roman of Liechtenstein (1875–1930) Acting | — | 24 June 1928 – 4 August 1928 | 39 days | — | Ind | ||||
| 3 | Josef Hoop (1895–1959) | 1928 1930 1932 1936 1939 1945 | 4 August 1928 – 3 September 1945 | 17 years, 30 days | I II III IV | FBP | ||||
| Franz I (1929–1938) | ||||||||||
| Franz Josef II (1938–1989) | ||||||||||
| 4 | Alexander Frick (1910–1991) | 1949 1953 (Feb) 1953 (Jun) 1957 1958 1962 | 3 September 1945 – 16 July 1962 | 16 years, 316 days | I II III | |||||
| 5 | Gerard Batliner (1928–2008) | 1966 | 16 July 1962 – 18 March 1970 | 7 years, 245 days | I II III | |||||
| 6 | Alfred Hilbe (1928–2011) | 1970 | 18 March 1970 – 27 March 1974 | 4 years, 9 days | Hilbe | VU | ||||
| 7 | Walter Kieber (1931–2014) | 1974 | 27 March 1974 – 26 April 1978 | 4 years, 30 days | Kieber | FBP | ||||
| 8 | Hans Brunhart (born 1945) | 1978 1982 1986 1989 | 26 April 1978 – 26 May 1993 | 15 years, 30 days | I II III IV | VU | ||||
| 9 | Markus Büchel (1959–2013) | 1993 (Feb) | 26 May 1993 – 15 December 1993 | 203 days | Büchel | FBP | Hans-Adam II (1989–present) | |||
| 10 | Mario Frick (born 1965) | 1993 (Oct) 1997 | 15 December 1993 – 5 April 2001 | 7 years, 111 days | I II | VU | ||||
| 11 | Otmar Hasler (born 1953) | 2001 2005 | 5 April 2001 – 25 March 2009 | 7 years, 354 days | I II | FBP | ||||
| 12 | Klaus Tschütscher (born 1967) | 2009 | 25 March 2009 – 27 March 2013 | 4 years, 2 days | Tschütscher | VU | ||||
| 13 | Adrian Hasler (born 1964) | 2013 2017 | 27 March 2013 – 25 March 2021 | 7 years, 363 days | I II | FBP | ||||
| 14 | Daniel Risch (born 1978) | 2021 | 25 March 2021 – 10 April 2025 | 4 years, 16 days | Risch | VU | ||||
| 15 | Brigitte Haas (born 1964) | 2025 | 10 April 2025 – Incumbent | 252 days | Haas | VU | ||||
- The VP and Liechtenstein Homeland Service merged to form the Patriotic Union in 1936.
- People are numbered according to periods served by the same person. For example, Carl von In der Maur served as state administrator twice in two non-consecutive terms, but is counted only once.
Timeline
Deputy head of government
The deputy head of government is the secondary chief executive in Liechtenstein. One of the government councillors is appointed to the position by the prince of Liechtenstein upon the proposal of the Landtag of Liechtenstein.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Party | Tenure | Duration | Prime Minister | Ref(s). | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfons Feger (1856–1933) | VP | 2 March 1922 – 24 June 1928 | 7 years, 114 days | Josef Ospelt | FBP | ||||
| Himself Acting Prime Minister | VP | |||||||||
| Felix Gubelmann Acting Prime Minister | FBP | |||||||||
| Gustav Schädler | VP | |||||||||
| — | Vacant (24 June–4 August 1928) | Prince Alfred Roman of Liechtenstein Acting Prime Minister | Ind | |||||||
| 2 | Ludwig Marxer (1897–1962) | FBP | 4 August 1928 – 20 June 1933 | 4 years, 320 days | Josef Hoop | FBP | ||||
| 3 | Anton Frommelt (1895–1975) | 20 June 1933 – 30 March 1938 | 4 years, 283 days | |||||||
| 4 | Alois Vogt (1906–1988) | VU | 30 March 1938 – 3 September 1945 | 7 years, 157 days | ||||||
| 5 | Ferdinand Nigg (1893–1957) | 3 September 1945 – 13 July 1957 † | 11 years, 313 days | Alexander Frick | ||||||
| 6 | Josef Büchel (1910–1991) | 13 July 1957 – 16 June 1965 | 7 years, 338 days | |||||||
| Gerard Batliner | ||||||||||
| 7 | Alfred Hilbe (1928–2011) | 16 June 1965 – 18 March 1970 | 4 years, 275 days | |||||||
| 8 | Walter Kieber (1931–2014) | FBP | 18 March 1970 – 27 March 1974 | 4 years, 9 days | Alfred Hilbe | VU | ||||
| 9 | Hans Brunhart (born 1945) | VU | 27 March 1974 – 26 April 1978 | 4 years, 30 days | Walter Kieber | FBP | ||||
| (8) | Walter Kieber (1931–2014) | FBP | 26 April 1978 – 1 July 1980 | 2 years, 66 days | Hans Brunhart | VU | ||||
| 10 | Hilmar Ospelt (1929–2020) | 1 July 1980 – 2 February 1986 | 5 years, 216 days | |||||||
| 11 | Herbert Wille (born 1944) | 2 February 1986 – 26 May 1993 | 7 years, 113 days | |||||||
| 12 | Mario Frick (born 1965) | VU | 26 May 1993 – 15 December 1993 | 203 days | Markus Büchel | FBP | ||||
| 13 | Thomas Büchel (born 1952) | FBP | 15 December 1993 – 9 April 1997 | 3 years, 115 days | Mario Frick | VU | ||||
| 14 | Michael Ritter (born 1957) | VU | 9 April 1997 – 5 April 2001 | 3 years, 361 days | ||||||
| 15 | Rita Kieber-Beck (born 1958) | FBP | 5 April 2001 – 21 April 2005 | 4 years, 16 days | Otmar Hasler | FBP | ||||
| 16 | Klaus Tschütscher (born 1967) | VU | 21 April 2005 – 25 March 2009 | 3 years, 338 days | ||||||
| 17 | Martin Meyer (born 1972) | FBP | 25 March 2009 – 27 March 2013 | 4 years, 2 days | Klaus Tschütscher | VU | ||||
| 18 | Thomas Zwiefelhofer (born 1969) | VU | 27 March 2013 – 30 March 2017 | 4 years, 3 days | Adrian Hasler | FBP | ||||
| 19 | Daniel Risch (born 1978) | 30 March 2017 – 25 March 2021 | 3 years, 360 days | |||||||
| 20 | Sabine Monauni (born 1974) | FBP | 25 March 2021 – Incumbent | 4 years, 268 days | Daniel Risch Brigitte Haas | VU | ||||
Timeline
See also
- Politics of Liechtenstein
- List of monarchs of Liechtenstein
- List of Liechtenstein general elections
- List of cabinets of Liechtenstein
- Lists of incumbents
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