Patriotic Union (Liechtenstein)

The Patriotic Union (German: Vaterländische Union, lit. 'Fatherland Union', VU) is a liberal-conservative political party in Liechtenstein. The VU is one of the two major political parties in Liechtenstein, along with the monarchist-conservative Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP). The VU is the relatively more liberal of the two parties, supporting a constitutional monarchy and advocating for greater democratic governance. Since 2021, it is led by Thomas Zwiefelhofer and holds ten seats in the 25-member Landtag of Liechtenstein.

Infobox

Abbreviation

President

Thomas Zwiefelhofer

Secretary

Michael Winkler

Founded

5 January 1936 (1936-01-05)

Merger of

Christian-Social People's PartyLiechtenstein Homeland Service

Headquarters

Fürst-Franz-Josef-Strasse 13FL-9490 Vaduz

Newspaper

Liechtensteiner Vaterland

Youth wing

Youth Union

Women's wing

Women's Union

Ideology

mw- ConservatismLiberal conservatismChristian democracyEconomic liberalismConstitutional monarchism

Political position

Centre to centre-right

European affiliation

ALDE–PACE(in the Council of Europe)European Democrat Union

Colours

mw- Red

Landtag

10 / 25

Mayors

7 / 11

Municipal Councilsa

43 / 104

Tables

· Election results › Landtag elections

1936

Election

1936

Leader

Otto Schaedler

4 / 15

Seats

New

+/–

2nd

Rank

Opposition

1939

Election

1939

Leader

7 / 15

Votes

2nd

Seats

Coalition

1945

Election

1945

Leader

1,285

Votes

45.28

7 / 15

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

1949

Election

1949

Leader

1,285

Votes

47.07

7 / 15

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

Feb 1953

Election

Feb 1953

Leader

1,229

Votes

42.60

7 / 15

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

Jun 1953

Election

Jun 1953

Leader

1,541

Votes

49.57

7 / 15

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

1957

Election

1957

Leader

1,537

Votes

47.64

7 / 15

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

1958

Election

1958

Leader

1,537

Votes

45.53

6 / 15

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

1962

Election

1962

Leader

1,448

Votes

42.73

7 / 15

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

1966

Election

1966

Leader

Franz Nägele

Votes

1,581

42.79

Seats

7 / 15

+/–

Rank

2nd

Status

Coalition

1970

Election

1970

Leader

Alfred Hilbe

Votes

2,008

49.57

Seats

8 / 15

+/–

Rank

1st

Status

Coalition

1974

Election

1974

Leader

16,356

Votes

47.26

7 / 15

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

1978

Election

1978

Leader

Hans Brunhart

Votes

18,244

49.15

Seats

8 / 15

+/–

Rank

1st

Status

Coalition

1982

Election

1982

Leader

20,997

Votes

53.47

8 / 15

Seats

+/–

1st

Rank

Coalition

1986

Election

1986

Leader

46,793

Votes

50.19

8 / 15

Seats

+/–

1st

Rank

Coalition

1989

Election

1989

Leader

75,417

Votes

47.15

13 / 25

Seats

+/–

1st

Rank

Coalition

Feb 1993

Election

Feb 1993

Leader

73,217

Votes

45.43

11 / 25

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

Oct 1993

Election

Oct 1993

Leader

Mario Frick

Votes

78,898

50.12

Seats

13 / 25

+/–

Rank

1st

Status

Coalition

1997

Election

1997

Leader

82,786

Votes

49.3

13 / 25

Seats

+/–

1st

Rank

Majority

2001

Election

2001

Leader

76,402

Votes

41.35

11 / 25

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Opposition

2005

Election

2005

Leader

Heinz Frommelt

Votes

74,162

38.23

Seats

10 / 25

+/–

Rank

2nd

Status

Coalition

2009

Election

2009

Leader

Adolf Heeb

Votes

95,219

47.61

Seats

13 / 25

+/–

Rank

1st

Status

Coalition

2013

Election

2013

Leader

Thomas Zwiefelhofer

Votes

65,118

33.55

Seats

8 / 25

+/–

Rank

2nd

Status

Coalition

2017

Election

2017

Leader

65,742

Votes

33.73

8 / 25

Seats

+/–

2nd

Rank

Coalition

2021

Election

2021

Leader

Daniel Risch

Votes

72,361

35.89

Seats

10 / 25

+/–

Rank

1st

Status

Coalition

2025

Election

2025

Leader

Brigitte Haas

Votes

79,478

38.32

Seats

10 / 25

+/–

Rank

1st

Status

Coalition

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Rank	Status
1936	Otto Schaedler			4 / 15	New	2nd	Opposition
1939				7 / 15	3	2nd	Coalition
1945		1,285	45.28	7 / 15		2nd	Coalition
1949		1,285	47.07	7 / 15		2nd	Coalition
Feb 1953		1,229	42.60	7 / 15		2nd	Coalition
Jun 1953		1,541	49.57	7 / 15		2nd	Coalition
1957		1,537	47.64	7 / 15		2nd	Coalition
1958		1,537	45.53	6 / 15	1	2nd	Coalition
1962		1,448	42.73	7 / 15	1	2nd	Coalition
1966	Franz Nägele	1,581	42.79	7 / 15		2nd	Coalition
1970	Alfred Hilbe	2,008	49.57	8 / 15	1	1st	Coalition
1974	Alfred Hilbe	16,356	47.26	7 / 15	1	2nd	Coalition
1978	Hans Brunhart	18,244	49.15	8 / 15	1	1st	Coalition
1982		20,997	53.47	8 / 15		1st	Coalition
1986		46,793	50.19	8 / 15		1st	Coalition
1989		75,417	47.15	13 / 25	5	1st	Coalition
Feb 1993		73,217	45.43	11 / 25	2	2nd	Coalition
Oct 1993	Mario Frick	78,898	50.12	13 / 25	2	1st	Coalition
1997		82,786	49.3	13 / 25		1st	Majority
2001		76,402	41.35	11 / 25	2	2nd	Opposition
2005	Heinz Frommelt	74,162	38.23	10 / 25	1	2nd	Coalition
2009	Adolf Heeb	95,219	47.61	13 / 25	3	1st	Coalition
2013	Thomas Zwiefelhofer	65,118	33.55	8 / 25	5	2nd	Coalition
2017	Thomas Zwiefelhofer	65,742	33.73	8 / 25		2nd	Coalition
2021	Daniel Risch	72,361	35.89	10 / 25	2	1st	Coalition
2025	Brigitte Haas	79,478	38.32	10 / 25		1st	Coalition

· Presidents

1936–1965

Years

1936–1965

Leader

Otto Schaedler

1965–1974

Years

1965–1974

Leader

Franz Nägele

1974–1992

Years

1974–1992

Leader

Otto Hasler

1992–2001

Years

1992–2001

Leader

Oswald Kranz

2001–2005

Years

2001–2005

Leader

Heinz Frommelt

2005–2011

Years

2005–2011

Leader

Adolf Heeb

2011–2015

Years

2011–2015

Leader

Jakob Büchel

2015–2021

Years

2015–2021

Leader

Günther Fritz

2021–present

Years

2021–present

Leader

Thomas Zwiefelhofer

Years	Leader	Ref
1936–1965	Otto Schaedler
1965–1974	Franz Nägele
1974–1992	Otto Hasler
1992–2001	Oswald Kranz
2001–2005	Heinz Frommelt
2005–2011	Adolf Heeb
2011–2015	Jakob Büchel
2015–2021	Günther Fritz
2021–present	Thomas Zwiefelhofer

· Presidents › Landtag group speakers

1953–1957

Years

1953–1957

Leader

Ivo Beck

1966–1974

Years

1966–1974

Leader

Roman Gassner

1974–1978

Years

1974–1978

Leader

Herbert Kindle

1978–1982

Years

1978–1982

Leader

Franz Beck

1982–1986

Years

1982–1986

Leader

Georg Gstöhl

1986–1989

Years

1986–1989

Leader

Hermann Hasler

1989–1993

Years

1989–1993

Leader

Reinhard Walser

1993–1997

Years

1993–1997

Leader

Peter Wolff

2005–2008

Years

2005–2008

Leader

Doris Beck

2009–2013

Years

2009–2013

Leader

Peter Hilti

2013–2017

Years

2013–2017

Leader

Christoph Wenaweser

2017–2018

Years

2017–2018

Leader

Violanda Lanter

2018–2020

Years

2018–2020

Leader

Günter Vogt

2020–2025

Years

2020–2025

Leader

Manfred Kaufmann

2025–

Years

2025–

Leader

Dagmar Bühler-Nigsch

Years	Leader
1953–1957	Ivo Beck
1966–1974	Roman Gassner
1974–1978	Herbert Kindle
1978–1982	Franz Beck
1982–1986	Georg Gstöhl
1986–1989	Hermann Hasler
1989–1993	Reinhard Walser
1993–1997	Peter Wolff
2005–2008	Doris Beck
2009–2013	Peter Hilti
2013–2017	Christoph Wenaweser
2017–2018	Violanda Lanter
2018–2020	Günter Vogt
2020–2025	Manfred Kaufmann
2025–	Dagmar Bühler-Nigsch

References

"Kontakt"
https://www.vu-online.li/kontakt
e-archiv.li
http://www.e-archiv.li/koerperschaftDetail.aspx?backurl=auto&koerperID=3370
"Jugendunion"
https://www.vu-online.li/partei/unionen/jugendunion
"Frauenunion"
https://www.vu-online.li/partei/unionen/frauenunion
EUROPP
https://web.archive.org/web/20170201034203/https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/01/30/the-curious-case-of-liechtenstein/
The Local
https://www.thelocal.ch/20130203/centre-right-liechtenstein-party-gains-power
Politico
http://www.politico.eu/article/liechtensteins-populists-gain-ground/
Vaterländische Union
https://www.vu-online.li/application/files/4015/4045/8110/Statuten-Gut_zum_Druck-Okt-2014.pdf
U.S. News & World Report
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2013/02/03/independents-upset-liechtensteins-3-party-system
A Guide to Countries of the World
https://books.google.com/books?id=uRE1DQAAQBAJ&pg=PT509
www.alde-pace.org
http://www.alde-pace.org/members
"Wertvorstellungen der Vaterländischen Union"
https://www.vu-online.li/application/files/1915/6691/0101/Wertvorstellungen.pdf
Political parties of the world
https://books.google.com/books?id=pmwYAAAAIAAJ
Prince and People: Liechtenstein Civics
http://www.fuerstundvolk.li/fuv/fuv.do?site=421174076f221000996d610c1957690b
"Wertvorstellungen der Vaterländischen Union"
https://www.vu-online.li/application/files/1915/6691/0101/Wertvorstellungen.pdf
Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein
https://historisches-lexikon.li/Vaterl%C3%A4ndische_Union_(VU)