Progressive Citizens' Party

The Progressive Citizens' Party in Liechtenstein (Template:Langx, FBP)Template:Efn is a conservative<ref name="FBP1"/><ref name="FBP2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> political party in Liechtenstein. The FBP is one of the two major political parties in Liechtenstein, along with the liberal-conservative Patriotic Union. Founded in 1918 along with the now-defunct Christian-Social People's Party, it is the oldest extant party in Liechtenstein.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

The party was established in 1918 by middle class citizens and members of the agricultural community as a response to the formation of the Christian-Social People's Party (VP).<ref name=VM>Vincent E McHale (1983) Political parties of Europe, Greenwood Press, p609 Template:ISBN</ref> In addition to being linked to the commercial and rural environment, the party was also firmly anchored in the clergy. It won the majority of the elected the 1918 elections,<ref name=NS>Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1182 Template:ISBN</ref> but the VP formed a government following the November 1918 Liechtenstein putsch.<ref name=V1>McHale, p611</ref>

The VP won elections in 1922, January 1926 and April 1926, but the FBP won the 1928 elections, and became the party of government until 1938,<ref name=V1/> with Josef Hoop serving as prime minister until 1945. In 1938 the FBP allowed the Patriotic Union (VU) to join it in a coalition government. The two parties governed in coalition until the 1997 elections,<ref name=N2>Nohlen & Stöver, p1157</ref> after which the Patriotic Union formed a government. The FBP won the 2001 elections and its leader Otmar Hasler became prime minister. Following the 2005 elections the coalition was renewed,<ref name=N2/> with Hasler remaining prime minister. The VU's Klaus Tschütscher held the post between 2009 and 2013, after which FBP leader Adrian Hasler became prime minister.

In the 2017 state election, the FBP lost 4.8% of the vote and was awarded only nine of the 25 seats. However, it remained the party with the most votes in the state parliament, as the Patriotic Union only gained slightly and still had eight Landtag members.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In the 2021 state elections, Adrian Hasler and government councilor Mauro Pedrazzini (also a FBP member) decided not to run for government again after eight years. With Sabine Monauni, the FBP nominated a woman as prime minister candidate for the state elections for the first time. The party nominated Katrin Eggenberger and Manuel Frick as further candidates for the government.

The FBP won 35.9% of the votes in the 2021 state elections and won 10 seats in the Landtag. Mathematically, the FBP was elected by around 100 voters (0.6%) more. The discrepancy arose from the fact that the voters in the Oberland, with 15 votes per ballot paper, had a higher weight on the total party vote result than the voters in the Unterland with ten votes per person. Voter turnout was stable at 78.0%. The FBP and VU formed a coalition government, which appointed Monauni as deputy prime minister.<ref name="en8-2-21">Template:Cite news</ref> If she had become prime minister, she would have been the first female to hold the position.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In the 2025 elections, former president of the landtag Ernst Walch was the party's candidate for prime minister. The party further nominated Sabine Monauni and Daniel Oehry as government candidates.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the election, the FBP won 7 seats with 27.9% of the vote share, the lowest in its history.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Ideology and policy

The FBP tends to be conservative on social/cultural issues. As for economic issues, it is economically liberal but also claims to follow a social market economy policy.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The party states its policies are based on Christian values such as solidarity, respect and justice.<ref name=":0" /> It also advocates a dualistic form of government, claiming to support both the monarchy and the people as sovereigns.<ref name=":0" />

Women's rights

Template:Main article Template:See also The FBP was an early proponent of the introduction of women's suffrage to Liechtenstein, starting in 1970. However, two separate referendums on the issue were rejected by male-only voters in 1971 and 1973 respectively.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Women in the FBP group was founded in September 1982 to represent women's issues within the party, and also to further advocate for the introduction of women's suffrage.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The party then again proposed the issue to the Landtag of Liechtenstein in December 1983 and again in April 1984.<ref name=":1" /> Following a successful referendum (among men only) in July 1984, women's suffrage was introduced to Liechtenstein.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Emma Eigenmann, belonging to the FBP, was the woman elected to the Landtag of Liechtenstein in 1986.<ref name="HL">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the first Mario Frick cabinet, Cornelia Gassner, also belonging to the FBP, became the first female government councillor.<ref name=":02">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rita Kieber-Beck was also the first female Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein.<ref name=":03">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

LGBT rights

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Compared to the Patriotic Union, members of the FBP are more inclined to support LGBT rights:

Differences between the two main political parties in Liechtenstein on LGBT rights

Subjects on LGBT rights	Progressive Citizens' Party	Patriotic Union
Motion to introduce a Registered Partnership law (24 October 2007)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	10 For, 2 Against	6 For, 4 Against
Response to the candidate survey conducted by the Youth wing of the Free List party (leading up to the 2021 general election), containing the following question: Should same-sex couples have the same rights as heterosexual couples in all areas?<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	20 candidates; 18 (9 'Yes', 9 'Rather Yes') to 2 ('Rather No')	22 candidates; 15 (8 'Yes', 7 'Rather Yes') to 7 (6 'Rather No', 1 'No')
Response to a voter poll conducted in February 2021 by the Liechtenstein Institute, regarding the same survey question listed in the row above.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	74% (47% 'Yes', 27% 'Rather Yes') to 27% (13% 'No', 14% 'Rather No')a	68% (41% 'Yes', 27% 'Rather Yes') to 32% (15% 'No', 17% 'Rather No')
citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Composition bar (60%)	Template:Composition bar (100% of sitting members, excluding their three (3) substitute members)	Template:Composition bar (20% of sitting members, excluding their three (3) substitute members)
Amendment of the General Civil Code and the Partnership Act (Equality of same-sex couples in adoption law)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	10 For, 0 Against	7 For, 3 Against

a. Percentages do not add up to 100%.

The FBP also voted en bloc with the Free List (FL) party on 6 May 2022 to narrowly defeat a proposed legislation (i.e., Amendment to the Article 25 of the Partnership Act) that would have limited adoption and reproductive rights of same-sex couples.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Election results

Landtag elections

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Rank	Status
1918	Franz Verling			Template:Composition bar	New	Template:Increase 1st	Template:Yes2
1922	Josef Ospelt			Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 3	Template:Decrease 2nd	Template:No2
Jan 1926	Bernhard Risch			Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 2	Template:Steady 2nd	Template:No2
Apr 1926	Ludwig Marxer			Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 2nd	Template:No2
1928	Josef Hoop			Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 5	Template:Increase 1st	Template:Yes2
1930				Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 4	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1932				Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 2	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1936				Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 2	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1939				Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 3	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1945		1,553	54.72	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1949	Alexander Frick	1,555	52.93	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
Feb 1953		1,458	50.54	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
Jun 1953		1,568	50.43	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1957		1,689	52.36	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1958		1,839	54.47	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 1	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1962		1,599	47.18	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1966	Gerard Batliner	1,791	48.47	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1970	Walter Kieber	1,978	48.83	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Decrease 2nd	Template:Yes2
1974		17,332	50.08	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 1	Template:Increase 1st	Template:Yes2
1978		18,872	50.85	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Decrease 2nd	Template:Yes2
1982	Hilmar Ospelt	18,273	46.53	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 2nd	Template:Yes2
1986	Herbert Wille	39,853	42.75	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 2nd	Template:Yes2
1989		75,417	42.13	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 5	Template:Steady 2nd	Template:Yes2
Feb 1993	Markus Büchel	71,209	44.19	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady	Template:Steady 2nd	Template:Yes2
Oct 1993	Josef Biedermann	65,075	41.34	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Steady 2nd	Template:Yes2
1997	Thomas Büchel	65,914	39.20	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Steady 2nd	Template:No2
2001	Otmar Hasler	92,204	49.90	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 3	Template:Increase 1st	Template:Yes2
2005		94,545	48.74	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
2009		86,951	43.47	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Decrease 2nd	Template:Yes2
2013	Adrian Hasler	77,644	40.00	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Increase 1st	Template:Yes2
2017		68,673	35.24	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
2021	Sabine Monauni	72,319	35.88	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 1	Template:Decrease 2nd	Template:Yes2
2025	Ernst Walch	56,983	27.48	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 3	Template:Steady 2nd	Template:Yes2

Notes

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External links

• Official website Template:In lang