Hereditary Prince Alois (1968- ), Princess Sophie (1967- ) and Family

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Isn't there a way to overrule the prince? For example, the prince says he will veto it; In some countries when that happens it can go back to the voters or law makers and if they have enough votes, they can override the veto and it becomes law.

[Marengo]

Didn't the prince (Hans-Adam) 'threaten' in 2003 as well that if they didn't vote in favor he would leave the country or such?

[American Dane]

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

Isn't there a way to overrule the prince? For example, the prince says he will veto it; In some countries when that happens it can go back to the voters or law makers and if they have enough votes, they can override the veto and it becomes law.

No that's the problem, the Prince and (regent) of Liechtenstein are absolute rulers since 2003. I believe the only bill/law that can be passed even if the Prince vetoes is a referendum for a republic. Any other law can't be overridden.

Originally Posted by Marengo

Didn't the prince (Hans-Adam) 'threaten' in 2003 as well that if they didn't vote in favor he would leave the country or such?

Yes, he did. He used emotional blackmail to get what he wanted.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Great! Liechtenstien is losing some of my love for it. Isn't the country Catholic, despite its proximity to Germany? If it is indeed Catholic, it doesn't surprise me that the Prince would feel this way.

[fearghas]

While I admire the Prince for his moral convictions (though I dont agree with him on this issue), I worry that if he stands too firmly the people of liechtenstein might decide that being a republic might be the better option. I hope that he has thought of that, and is at peace with the idea that he could be responsible for bringing down his dynasty. If moral convictions on abortion are more important to him, fair enough but he has to accept the possible consquences.

[American Dane]

Originally Posted by fearghas

While I admire the Prince for his moral convictions (though I dont agree with him on this issue), I worry that if he stands too firmly the people of liechtenstein might decide that being a republic might be the better option. I hope that he has thought of that, and is at peace with the idea that he could be responsible for bringing down his dynasty. If moral convictions on abortion are more important to him, fair enough but he has to accept the possible consquences.

I agree. On the other hand, the people of Liechtenstein must have thought about a potential moral dilemma vote when they agreed to increase the Prince's power in 2003. If not, then they are at fault and nobody else.

[lilytornado]

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

Great! Liechtenstien is losing some of my love for it. Isn't the country Catholic, despite its proximity to Germany? If it is indeed Catholic, it doesn't surprise me that the Prince would feel this way.

Liechtenstein is catholic, but Southern Germany is catholic as well. Only Northern Germany is protestant. Remember the pope is from Southern Germany.

[iceflower]

__________________


Prince Alois and Princess Sophie have received German President Christian Wullf, Austrian President Heinz
Fischer with wives and Swiss Federal President Micheline Calmy-Rey for the German speaking head of state
meeting at the castle of Vaduz, Liechtenstein, 26 September 2011.



** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** belga gallery **

[Kit]

Originally Posted by lilytornado

Liechtenstein is catholic, but Southern Germany is catholic as well. Only Northern Germany is protestant. Remember the pope is from Southern Germany.

yes that's correct. What's more the princely House of Liechtenstein originally comes from Lower Austria, and in fact the Liechtensteins are originally an Austrian family and still have vast possessions here in Austria, they are also heavily related to the Habsburgs.It is wrong to assume that the country has close ties to Germany just because of the proximity to Germany, the Liechtensteins have always had close historical ties to Austria which is a catholic country par excellence ....

[Kasumi]

Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | UK News :: The 'rightful heir' to the Scottish throne
A GERMAN who became a princess after marrying into the little-known Liechtenstein royal family would lay claim to being Scotland's next rightful hereditary queen if laws banning Catholics on the throne were repealed.
Interior design enthusiast Sophie Elisabeth Marie Gabrielle, 44, will one day rule over the tiny European principality following a fairytale wedding to the country's Prince Alois in 1993.
But her family tree shows she is also part of the direct lineage of the House of Stuart, which was kept off the combined thrones of England and Scotland in the late 17th century then effectively ousted by the 1701 Act of Settlement that outlawed Catholic monarchs.
Last week the Scottish Parliament debated repealing the 310-year-old legislation, which eventually led to the Jacobite Uprisings, amid widespread belief it is now outdated and discriminatory on sectarian grounds.

[Geraldine]

Anyone knows how Prince Alois and Princess Sophie met?

[MarNoe]

Trouble brewing?

Prince of Liechtenstein threatens to quit

[NGalitzine]

If the Princes of Liechtenstein keep threatening to quit every time the people look like wanting democratic change the people may one day take them up on the offer.

[MarNoe]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

If the Princes of Liechtenstein keep threatening to quit every time the people look like wanting democratic change the people may one day take them up on the offer.

Interesting. I've done some more reading and found that your comment is true. I have to admit the last few pictures I've seen of Hans Adam, he looked like someone easily given to throwing a tantrum if he didn't get his way. Not a good way to be for a ruling prince.

[Warren]

I assume you are both referring to the constitutional referendum of March 2003.
The revised Constitution as proposed by Prince Hans Adam and opposed by the then Prime Minister was supported by close on 64% of the electorate and therefore became law.
That's democracy in action.

[MarNoe]

Originally Posted by Warren

I assume you are both referring to the constitutional referendum of March 2003.
The revised Constitution as proposed by Prince Hans Adam and opposed by the then Prime Minister was supported by close on 64% of the electorate and therefore became law.
That's democracy in action.

My link refers to an article posted Friday Apr 27, 2012, by AFP Zurich.

[MAfan]

Originally Posted by Warren

I assume you are both referring to the constitutional referendum of March 2003.
The revised Constitution as proposed by Prince Hans Adam and opposed by the then Prime Minister was supported by close on 64% of the electorate and therefore became law.
That's democracy in action.

But again, also on that occasion - if I recall correctly - Hans Adam threatened to quit if people had not voted in favour of the constitutional revision he had proposed.
I don't think that such a behaviour ("Do what I want, otherwise I'll quit") is very democratic.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by MAfan

But again, also on that occasion - if I recall correctly - Hans Adam threatened to quit if people had not voted in favour of the constitutional revision he had proposed.
I don't think that such a behaviour ("Do what I want, otherwise I'll quit") is very democratic.

True. And actually he did quiit in some way as Alois is now the Regent even if Hans Adam remains the Head of State.

[Lenora]

Is that true that "the issue at hand is abortion, and Prince Alois last year threatened to veto a law allowing the procedure to be legal in his country. The referendum permitting abortion failed and that has lead some Liechtensteiners to want their Prince’s powers to be reduced"?
Choice in Liechtenstein: Abortion or royal family?

[MarNoe]

Originally Posted by Lenora

Is that true that "the issue at hand is abortion, and Prince Alois last year threatened to veto a law allowing the procedure to be legal in his country. The referendum permitting abortion failed and that has lead some Liechtensteiners to want their Prince’s powers to be reduced"?
Choice in Liechtenstein: Abortion or royal family?

The abortion issue was dropped. This time it's the threat of revoking the veto power of the prince.