77-551: Franz Joseph II (Franz Josef Maria Alois Alfred Karl Johannes Heinrich Michael Georg Ignaz Benediktus Gerhardus Majella; 16 August 1906 – 13 November 1989) was the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein from 25 July 1938 until his death in November 1989. Franz Joseph was the son of Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria . He succeeded his childless grand-uncle, Prince Franz I , after his father renounced his right of succession in his favour in 1923. He
154-455: A pension equivalent to half the salary of Federal Council members in office. If a councillor leaves office for health reasons, they may receive this pension even if their length of service was less than three years. Councillors who leave their offices after less than four years may also receive a partial pension. After leaving office, "former federal councillors frequently pursue some other lucrative activity," but "their earnings, when added to
231-590: A vote of no confidence . Incumbents are not term-limited and are by convention almost always re-elected; most serve around 8 to 12 years in office. As of 2024, the members of the Federal Council are, in order of seniority: The Federal Council was instituted by the 1848 Federal Constitution as the "supreme executive and directorial authority of the Confederation". When the Constitution
308-472: A more moderate SVP/UDC politician, against party policy. This led to a split of the SVP/UDC in 2008. After liberal regional SVP/UDC groups including Federal Councillors Widmer-Schlumpf and Samuel Schmid founded a new Conservative Democratic Party , the SVP/UDC was left in opposition for the first time since 1929, but returned into the council with the election of Ueli Maurer on 10 December 2008, who regained
385-566: A personal bailiff ( huissier or Bundesweibel ) who accompanies them, in a red and white ceremonial uniform, to official events. The spouses of Councillors do not play an official part in the business of government, apart from accompanying the Councillors to official receptions. Federal councillors receive an annual salary of CHF 472,958, plus another CHF 30,000 annually for expenses. The councillors pay tax on this income. Former councillors with at least four years of service receive
462-563: A seat to fill presents two candidates with mainstream viewpoints to the United Federal Assembly, which then chooses one. This was not so, however, during the 2003 election , which was the most controversial in recent memory. Until the end of the 19th century, it was informally required of Federal Councillors to be elected to the National Council in their canton of origin every four years to put their popularity to
539-689: A shooting ground". Franz Joseph handed over most of his powers to his son, Hans-Adam on 26 August 1984. Franz Joseph II had been suffering from poor health and died on 13 November 1989, 26 days after his wife. Ruling Liechtenstein for 51 years, he was among the longest-ruling sovereigns in Europe and the longest-serving national leader in the world at the time of his death. He was succeeded by his son Hans-Adam as Hans-Adam II . On 7 March 1943, at St. Florin's in Vaduz , Franz Joseph II married Countess Georgina of Wilczek (24 October 1921 – 18 October 1989). It
616-399: A sitting Councillor. This has only happened four times – to Ulrich Ochsenbein in 1854, to Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel in 1872, to Ruth Metzler in 2003 and to Christoph Blocher in 2007. In practice, therefore, Councillors serve until they decide to resign and retire to private life, usually after three to five terms of office. Unlike most senior members of government in other countries,
693-692: A term of four years by both chambers of the Federal Assembly sitting together as the United Federal Assembly. Each Federal Council seat is up for (re-)election in the order of seniority, beginning with the Councillor who had the longest term of office. The office holders are then elected individually by secret ballot by an absolute majority of the valid votes. Every adult Swiss citizen is eligible (and could even be elected against his own will), but in practice, only members of Parliament or more rarely, members of cantonal governments, are nominated by
770-533: A test. This practice was known under the French term of élection de compliment . The first Councillor who failed to be reelected ( Ulrich Ochsenbein ) lost his election to the National Council in 1854. Once elected, Councillors remain members of their political parties, but hold no leading office with them. In fact, they usually maintain a certain political distance from the party leadership, because under
847-688: Is also used to host official guests of the Swiss Confederation. While Councillors can draw on an Army security detail if they need personal protection, in particular during official events, they are often encountered without any escort in the streets, restaurants and tramways of Bern. Ueli Maurer was known to use the bicycle on most days from his apartment in Münsingen to the Federal Palace in Bern. Councillors are also entitled to
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#1732780303658924-550: Is colloquially referred to as its " field trip ", a day trip to some attractions in the President's home canton. In that and other respects, the council operates like a board of directors of a major corporation. Each Federal Councillor heads a government department, much like the ministers in the governments of other countries. Colloquially and by the press (especially outside Switzerland), they are often referred to as ministers even though no such post formally exists. For example,
1001-602: The Bavarian State Painting Collections in 1969. Franz Joseph oversaw a family-owned bank which was run by the House of Liechtenstein with branches in London , Zürich , New York City and Frankfurt . This made the principality an ideal tax haven for wealthy individuals and private foreign companies, allowing Liechtenstein to experience rapid economic growth throughout his reign, transforming
1078-692: The Habsburg family, to whom several Liechtenstein princes served as close advisors. Without any territory held immediately from the Imperial crown , the Liechtenstein family, although noble , did not qualify for a seat in the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire . By purchase in 1699 and 1712 from the counts of Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems of, respectively, the small lordship of Schellenberg and
1155-595: The Hereditary Prince Alois , as a way of transitioning to a new generation. Formally, Hans-Adam remains head of state . The prince receives an untaxed salary of 250,000 Swiss francs (234,000 euros or 252,000 US dollars ). According to their house law , the monarch bears the titles: Federal Council (Switzerland) The Federal Council is the federal cabinet of the Swiss Confederation . Its seven members also serve as
1232-680: The Right . In due course, the CVP received its second seat in 1919 with Jean-Marie Musy , while the BGB joined the council in 1929 with Rudolf Minger . In 1943, during World War II, the Social Democrats were also temporarily included with Ernst Nobs . The 1959 elections, following the resignation of four councillors, finally established the Zauberformel , the "magical formula" that determined
1309-601: The Soviet Union sent a delegation to Liechtenstein in an attempt to repatriate the Russians, which was refused despite increasing Soviet pressure to participate in the repatriation program. Eventually the government of Argentina offered the Russians asylum, and about a hundred people left. According to Alexander Frick , Prime Minister of Liechtenstein at the time, the Russians were at no point in danger of being extradited . Franz Joseph had explicitly given support for
1386-525: The Swiss order of precedence , the president of the Confederation is the highest-ranking Swiss official. They preside over council meetings and carry out certain representative functions that, in other countries, are the business of a head of state. In urgent situations where a council decision cannot be made in time, they are empowered to act on behalf of the whole council. Apart from that, though, they are primus inter pares , having no power above and beyond
1463-572: The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna , which he received a diploma on forestry engineering in 1930. Franz Joseph was made heir presumptive of Prince of Liechtenstein on 26 February 1923 when his father renounced his right of succession in his favour as he was concerned about his age should he assume the role. On 17 April 1930 Franz Joseph was appointed to be the deputy of Franz I , in which he frequently travelled between
1540-550: The canton of Zurich were in office. It happened again between 2010 and 2018, starting when Simonetta Sommaruga and Johann Schneider-Ammann from the canton of Bern were elected in 2010 . As of 2023, four cantons have never been represented on the Federal Council: Nidwalden , Schaffhausen , Schwyz , Uri . The canton of Jura is the most recent canton to be represented; since 1 January 2023, it has been represented by Elisabeth Baume-Schneider . With
1617-490: The 1984 election of Elisabeth Kopp . In 1983, the failed election of the first official female candidate, Lilian Uchtenhagen and again in 1993 the failed election of Christiane Brunner (both SP/PS), was controversial and the Social Democrats each time considered withdrawing from the council altogether. There were two female councillors serving simultaneously for the first time in 1999, and three out of seven councillors were women from 2007 till 2010, when Simonetta Sommaruga
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#17327803036581694-514: The FDP councillors seats were unsuccessfully attacked by the green party. The following councillors were reelected: Following the resignation of Alain Berset as of 31 December 2023, replacement elections were held: In addition, Viktor Rossi ( GLP ) was newly elected as Federal Chancellor with 135 out of 245 votes cast in the second round of voting. Additionally Viola Amherd was elected President of
1771-481: The Federal Council at the same time. For most of Swiss history, the canton of any given councillor was determined by their place of origin, but starting in 1987 this was changed to the canton from which they were elected (for former members of the Federal Assembly or cantonal legislative or executive bodies) or place of residence. Nothing prevented candidates from moving to politically expedient cantons; this
1848-399: The Federal Council's unique nature as a voluntary grand coalition of political opponents, its operation is subject to numerous constitutional conventions . Most notable is the principle of collegiality ; that is, the Councillors are not supposed to publicly criticise one another, even though they are often political opponents. In effect, they are expected to publicly support all decisions of
1925-612: The Federal Councillors are not entitled to an official residence . However, the Federal Palace houses living apartments for both the Federal Chancellor and President of the Confederation . Mostly, Federal Councillors have chosen to rent apartments or hotel suites in Bern at their own expense. However, they are entitled to use the Federal Council's country estate, Lohn , for holidays, and this estate
2002-555: The Holy Roman Empire and Austria-Hungary . The prince of Liechtenstein has broad powers, which include the appointment of judges, the dismissal of ministers or government, veto power , and the calling of referendums . The 2003 referendum was a proposal put forth by Prince Hans-Adam II to revise parts of the Constitution , on the one hand expanding the monarch's power with the authority to veto legislation, while on
2079-401: The Swiss Confederation chairs the council, but exercises no particular authority; rather, the position is one of a first among equals and rotates among the seven Councillors annually. The Federal Council is elected as a body by the 246 members of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland for a term of four years after each federal parliamentary election , without the possibility of recall or
2156-565: The Swiss Confederation for the year 2024 and Karin Keller-Sutter was elected vice president of the Federal Council for the year 2024. Following the elections there was a departmental reshuffle. Élisabeth Baume-Schneider took over the Federal Department of Home Affairs vacated by Alain Berset and newly elected Beat Jans took over Baume-Schneiders Justice and Police Department. The members of the Federal Council are elected for
2233-407: The asylum of the Russians. The general population of Liechtenstein supported the government in providing asylum to the Russians. After losing roughly 80% of their property, Franz Joseph and his family sought to sell artworks from their collection in order to generate income, such as Leonardo da Vinci 's Ginevra de' Benci in 1967 and Frans Hals 's Willem van Heythuysen portrait that was sold to
2310-413: The bill at issue. The decisions themselves are formally taken by voice vote by a majority of the Councillors present at a meeting. However, the great majority of decisions are arrived at by consensus ; even though lately there is said to be a trend towards more contentious discussions and close votes. The meetings of the Federal Council and the result of the votes taken are not open to the public, and
2387-399: The cantons, the political parties and major interest groups are invited, and in which all members of the public can participate. If a change in a federal statute is to be proposed to the Federal Assembly, this step is mandated by law. In such cases, the consultation procedure also serves to identify political concerns that could later be the focus of a popular referendum to stop passage of
Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein - Misplaced Pages Continue
2464-447: The collective head of state and government of Switzerland. Since after World War II, the Federal Council is by convention a permanent grand coalition government composed of representatives of the country's major parties and language regions . While the entire Federal Council is responsible for leading the federal administration of Switzerland , each Councillor heads one of the seven federal executive departments. The President of
2541-552: The collegial system of government has found widespread adoption in modern democracies in the form of cabinet government with collective responsibility. The 1848 constitutional provision providing for the Federal Council ;– and indeed the institution of the Council itself – has remained unchanged to this day, even though Swiss society has changed profoundly since. The 1848 Constitution
2618-469: The council are always prepared by the responsible department. Accordingly, a change in the salaries of federal employees would be proposed to the council by the head of the Federal Department of Finance , to whose department the Federal Office of Personnel belongs. Before a vote is taken at a council meeting, though, all proposals are circulated in writing to the heads of departments, who commission
2695-468: The council's 2023 iteration, the constitutional requirement that languages and regions be appropriately balanced is under increased strain. "Latin speakers" – people who either speak French, Italian, or Romansh – now form a majority on the council, despite more than seventy percent of the Swiss citizens speaking German as a first language. Likewise, no current Federal Councillors grew up in an urban area (with
2772-490: The council's composition during the rest of the 20th century and established the long-standing nature of the council as a permanent, voluntary grand coalition . In approximate relation to the parties' respective strength in the Federal Assembly, the seats were distributed as follows: During that time, the FDP/PRD and CVP/PDC very slowly but steadily kept losing voter share to the SVP/UDC and SP/PS, respectively, which overtook
2849-446: The council, even against their own personal opinion or that of their political party. In the eye of many observers, this convention has become rather strained after the 2003 elections (see below). Due to the fact that technically no sole federal councillor but rather the entire council in corpore is the Swiss head of state , Federal Councillors did for a long time not travel abroad in official business. In other countries, Switzerland
2926-549: The county of Vaduz , the Liechtensteins acquired immediate lands within the Holy Roman Empire which made them eligible for elevation to the Imperial Diet. Thereby, on 23 January 1719, Emperor Charles VI decreed Vaduz and Schellenberg were henceforth united and raised to the status of a Fürstentum (principality) under the name "Liechtenstein" for "[his] true servant, Anton Florian of Liechtenstein ". Although
3003-462: The exception of Karin Keller-Sutter , who spent some school years in Neuchâtel NE ). Whenever a member resigns, they are generally replaced by someone who is not only from the same party, but also the same language group. In 2006, however, Joseph Deiss , a French-speaker , resigned and was succeeded by Doris Leuthard , a German-speaker . In 2016, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf , a German-speaker,
3080-502: The family continued to own larger territories in various parts of central and eastern Europe, it was in right of Liechtenstein's status as an Imperial Estate that the family of wealthy noble Austrian courtiers became a dynasty of imperial princes , continuing to dwell in the imperial capital of Vienna or on their larger estates elsewhere, not taking up permanent residence in their principality for more than 300 years, moving into their Alpine realm only in 1938, after dissolution of both
3157-729: The family’s estates in Czechoslovakia and Poland were expropriated without compensation by the Third Czechoslovak Republic and the Provisional Government of Poland . Just before the end of the war, Franz Joseph granted political asylum to First Russian National Army pro-Axis pro-emperor Vladimir White emigres led by General Boris Smyslovsky , who were being cared for by the Liechtenstein Red Cross . On 16 August 1945,
Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein - Misplaced Pages Continue
3234-701: The first Italian speaker to serve on the council since 1999. For elections to the Federal Council , candidates are usually helped by a high degree of fluency in German, French, and Italian. Each year, one of the seven councillors is elected by the United Federal Assembly as President of the Confederation . The Federal Assembly also elects a vice president of Switzerland. By convention, the positions of president and vice president rotate annually, each councillor thus becoming vice president and then president every seven years while in office. According to
3311-407: The first time, following a referendum on the topic (among men only) in 1984. That same year, he appointed Maria Foser as the first woman Deputy Government Councillor for Social Affairs. He exercised his veto power just once, in 1985, against a new hunting law that would have granted increased rights to hunters. He explained this by saying “It was a silly law. It would have turned every garden into
3388-609: The formation of a coalition government between the Progressive Citizens' Party and the Patriotic Union that would prevent government deadlock and help retain Liechtenstein's neutrality. In March 1939 he along with Josef Hoop paid an official visit to Berlin where they met Adolf Hitler and Joachim von Ribbentrop where they discussed safeguarding Liechtenstein's independence and neutrality while maintaining good relations. Franz Joseph later reminisced on
3465-426: The head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports is often called "the Swiss defence minister", even though no such post officially exists. However, as council members, they are not only responsible for their own department, but also for the business of their colleagues' departments, as well as for the conduct of the government and the federal administration as a whole. Decisions to be taken by
3542-499: The head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs . Visiting heads of state are received by the Federal Council in corpore . The Federal Council operates mainly through weekly meetings, which are held each Wednesday at the Federal Palace in Bern , the seat of the Swiss federal government . Apart from the seven Councillors, the following officials also attend the meetings: During
3619-467: The hoped-for German invasion failed to materialise. Despite this, he periodically sent congratulatory letters to Hitler throughout the war, such as the thwarting of the 20 July plot , of which he briefly replied. During the war, Liechtenstein’s princely family owned land in Austria whose managers hired Nazi forced labour, but a much later inquiry found the family not to have known about this. In 1945 all
3696-776: The long tradition of the rule of collective bodies in Switzerland. Under the Ancien Régime , the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy had been governed by councils of pre-eminent citizens since time immemorial, and the later Helvetic Republic (with its equivalent Directorate) as well as the cantons that had given themselves liberal constitutions since the 1830s had also had good experiences with that mode of governance. Today, only three other states, Bosnia and Herzegovina , Andorra and San Marino , have collective rather than unitary heads of state. However
3773-402: The meetings, the Councillors address each other formally (e.g. Mrs. Sommaruga, Mr. Berset), even though they are on first name terms with each other. This is done to separate the items on the agenda from the person promoting them. After the meetings, the Councillors take lunch together. The council also meets regularly in conclave to discuss important topics at length; it annually conducts what
3850-470: The older parties in popularity during the 1990s. The governmental balance was changed after the 2003 elections, when the SVP/UDC was granted a council seat for their leader Christoph Blocher that had formerly belonged to the CVP/PDC's Ruth Metzler . Due to controversies surrounding his conduct in office, a narrow Assembly majority did not reelect Blocher in 2007 and chose instead Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf ,
3927-519: The opening of Switzerland due to the Kennedy assassination, foreign travels of Federal Councillors were only normalized after the dissolution of the USSR . The most recent federal council elections were held on 13 December 2023. Federal Council Alain Berset and Federal Chancellor Walter Turnherr had both announced that they would not be seeking reelection. The other Federal Councillors were all reelected,
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#17327803036584004-425: The other hand securing for the citizenry the option to abolish the monarchy by vote at any time without being subject to princely veto. The right of the parishes that make up the principality to secede was simultaneously recognised. Prince Hans-Adam II had warned that he and his family would move to Austria if the referendum were rejected. Despite opposition from Mario Frick , a former Liechtenstein prime minister,
4081-421: The other six Councillors. The president is not the Swiss head of state; this function is carried out by the council in corpore , that is, in its entirety. However, in recent practice the president acts and is recognised as head of state while conducting official visits abroad, as the Council (also by convention) does not leave the country in corpore . More often, though, official visits abroad are carried out by
4158-439: The pension they receive as an ex-federal councillor, may not exceed the salary of a federal councillor in office, otherwise their pension is reduced accordingly." Serving federal councillors "enjoy a certain number of special benefits, from free telephone contracts to a chauffeur-driven car for official business, a courtesy car for personal use or the use of federal planes and helicopters for official business trips. Each member of
4235-418: The political parties and receive a substantial number of votes. The voting is conducted in several rounds, under a form of exhaustive ballot . After the election is concluded, the winner holds a short speech and accepts or refuses the office of Federal Councillor. The oath of office is then taken, even then the regular term of office only begins a few weeks later, on 1 January. Usually, the party which has
4312-640: The principality as a representative of him. He also visited several European countries during this time and the United States . On 31 March 1938, Franz I made Franz Joseph his regent following the Anschluss of Austria . Franz I then moved to Feldberg, Czechoslovakia , and on 25 July, he died while at one of his family's castles. Franz Joseph II formally succeeded him as the Prince of Liechtenstein . Although officially Franz stated that he had given
4389-553: The principality into one of the richest countries in the world. Franz Joseph played a role in maintaining Liechtenstein's diplomatic relations. He and Georgina von Wilczek hosted Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , Charles III (then Prince of Wales ) and Anne, Princess Royal in the Vaduz Castle on 29 December 1965 and again for Prince Philip and Elizabeth II in April 1980. During his reign, women received voting rights for
4466-424: The records remain sealed for 50 years. This has lately been the subject of some criticism. In particular, the parties at the ends of the political spectrum argue that this secrecy is contrary to the principle of transparency . However, the council has always maintained that secrecy is necessary to arrive at consensus and to preserve the collegiality and political independence of the individual Councillors. Due to
4543-524: The referendum was approved by the electorate in 2003. Opponents accused Hans-Adam of engaging in emotional blackmail to achieve his goal and constitutional experts from the Council of Europe branded the event as a retrograde move. A proposal to revoke the prince's new veto powers was rejected by 76% of voters in a 2012 referendum . On 15 August 2004 Prince Hans-Adam II formally delegated most of his sovereign authority ( regency ) to his son and heir-apparent,
4620-480: The regency to Franz Joseph due to his old age, it was speculated that he did not wish to remain in control of Liechtenstein if Nazi Germany were to invade, primarily because his wife, Elisabeth von Gutmann was of Jewish relation. Upon becoming Prince of Liechtenstein in 1938, Franz Joseph settled permanently in the principality, making him the first ruling prince to live there full-time. Liechtenstein remained neutral throughout World War II , and its neutrality
4697-643: The responsibility of government continued during the first half of the 20th century. It was hastened by the FDP's and CVP's gradually diminishing voter shares, complemented by the rise of new parties of lesser power at the ends of the political spectrum . These were the Social Democratic Party (SP) on the Left and the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (BGB; presently the People's Party , SVP) on
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#17327803036584774-449: The rules of collegiality , they will often have to publicly promote a council decision which does not match the political conviction of their party (or of themselves). Once elected for a four-year-term, Federal Councillors can neither be voted out of office by a motion of no confidence nor can they be impeached . Reelection is possible for an indefinite number of terms; it has historically been extremely rare for Parliament not to reelect
4851-401: The seat previously held by Schmid, who had resigned. The SVP/UDC regained its second seat on the Council in 2015 , when Widmer-Schlumpf decided to resign after the SVP/UDC's large election gains in the 2015 election , being replaced by Guy Parmelin . Women gained suffrage on the federal level in 1971. They remained unrepresented in the Federal Council for three further legislatures, until
4928-735: The seats on the Federal Council. This made their former war opponents, the Catholic-Conservatives (presently the Christian Democratic People's Party , CVP), the opposition party . Only after Emil Welti 's resignation in 1891 after a failed referendum on railway nationalisation did the Radicals decide to co-opt the Conservatives by supporting the election of Josef Zemp . The process of involving all major political movements of Switzerland into
5005-477: The senior career officials of their department – the heads of the Federal Offices – to prepare a written response to offer criticism and suggestions. This is called the co-report procedure ( Mitberichtsverfahren / procédure de co-rapport ), designed to build a wide consensus ahead of a council meeting. To prepare for important decisions, an additional public consultation is sometimes conducted, to which
5082-744: The sovereign principality was named in 1719, hails from Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria , which the family possessed from the middle of the twelfth century to the thirteenth century, and from 1807 onward. It is the only remaining European monarchy that practises strict agnatic primogeniture . Through the centuries, the dynasty acquired vast swathes of land, predominantly in Moravia , Lower Austria , Silesia , and Styria , though in all cases, these territories were held in fief under other more senior feudal lords, particularly under various lines of
5159-509: The visit and stated that Hitler showed little interest in them and that it only took place in order to "flatter Hitler's ego". While this visit was ongoing, the German National Movement in Liechtenstein (VBDL) staged an amateurish coup attempt , first trying to provoke a intervention from Nazi Germany by burning swastikas , followed by declaring an Anschluß with Germany. The leaders were almost immediately arrested and
5236-672: Was an extremely popular sovereign in Liechtenstein . He was the first ruling prince to live full-time in the principality. He also oversaw the economic development of Liechtenstein from a poor agricultural backwater into one of the richest countries (per capita) in the world. Franz Joseph was born on 16 August 1906 in Schloss Frauenthal , Deutschlandsberg , Austria-Hungary as the first child of Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria . He had 7 siblings throughout his lifetime. His god-parent
5313-454: Was elected as the fourth woman in government in place of Moritz Leuenberger , putting men in minority for the first time in history. Also remarkable is the fact that the eighth non-voting member of government, the chancellor, who sets the government agenda, was also a woman. In total, there have been ten female councillors in the period 1989 to present: Until 1999, the Constitution mandated that no canton could have multiple representatives on
5390-659: Was his great-uncle Franz Joseph I of Austria . He spent most of his youth throughout various family-owned estates in Austria-Hungary (later Czechoslovakia ), notably the Groß Ullersdorf castle in Moravia . He attended the Schottengymnasium in Vienna , where he graduated from in 1925 with a passion for mathematics , natural history and the Greek language . He then went on to study forestry at
5467-472: Was nearly exclusively represented by diplomats. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy , the Federal Councillors convened an urgent meeting, where they discussed sending a Councillor to Kennedy's funeral. Given that the absence of the Swiss government would not be understood by the population, they decided to send Friedrich Traugott Wahlen . On his travel to the U.S. capital, Wahlen also met with Secretary of State Dean Rusk to discuss tariffs . Despite
5544-618: Was not violated by any of the combatants. Franz Joseph supported then Prime Minister of Liechtenstein Josef Hoop 's policy of non-binding, non-provocative diplomacy towards Nazi Germany while personally tying the country as closely as possible to Switzerland during the war in hopes of retaining Liechtenstein's neutrality. He visited the Swiss Federal Council in April 1938 and again in 1943, along with to Victor Emmanuel III of Italy in November 1941. Franz Joseph oversaw
5621-660: Was one of the few successes of the Europe-wide democratic revolutions of 1848 . In Switzerland, the democratic movement was led – and the new federal state decisively shaped – by the Radicals (presently FDP. The Liberals ). After winning the Sonderbund War (the Swiss civil war) against the Catholic cantons, the Radicals at first used their majority in the Federal Assembly to fill all
5698-478: Was one of the motivators for abolishing the rule. At the 1999 Swiss referendums , the Constitution was changed to require an equitable distribution of seats among the cantons and language groups of the country, without setting concrete quotas. Since the rule against Federal Councillors being from the same canton was abolished, there have been a few examples of it happening. The first time was from 2003 to 2007, when both Moritz Leuenberger and Christoph Blocher from
5775-420: Was succeeded by Guy Parmelin , a French-speaker. Most recently, in 2023, German-speaking Simmonetta Sommaruga was replaced by French-speaking Elisabeth Baume-Schneider . Historically, at least two council seats have been held by French- or Italian-speakers. The language makeup of the council as of 2022 is four German-speakers, two French-speakers and one Italian-speaker. In November 2017, Ignazio Cassis became
5852-502: Was the first time that the wedding of a ruling Prince had taken place in Liechtenstein . They had five children, twelve grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren: Monarchy of Liechtenstein The monarchy of Liechtenstein is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of Liechtenstein . The current monarch is Prince Hans-Adam II . The House of Liechtenstein , after which
5929-481: Was written, constitutional democracy was still in its infancy, and the founding fathers of Switzerland had little in the way of examples. While they drew heavily on the United States Constitution for the organisation of the federal state as a whole, they opted for the collegial rather than the presidential system for the executive branch of government ( directorial system ). This accommodated
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