Notes by Gert's Royals are in [brackets].
Dear members of Parliament and the Government,
Today begins the last year of the legislative session. The past few years have been turbulent. It went seamlessly from one major crisis to the next - from the pandemic, to Russia's attack on Ukraine, to the most recent conflicts in the Middle East, which further complicate the geopolitical situation. The world and Europe in particular are on stormy seas, so to speak. In addition, there is rapid technological development, especially in areas of artificial intelligence, with great opportunities, but also dangers.
Many are worried about whether their boat will be able to withstand this storm and stay on course. In some cases, a certain disorientation and a search for stability can also be observed. This is especially true in countries that have failed to overhaul their boat in recent years, or to set the right course for the future.
Although we are in an enviably safe boat by international standards, we must not be careless or distracted from steering a clear course. We should preserve the great attractiveness of Liechtenstein, which above all includes our particular political and economic stability. Stormy seas are not the time to remodel the boat, but rather to focus, check safety precautions and keep the boat on course.
With gratitude, we can celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Swiss Franc this year. Its great stability is another attractive element of our country from which we benefit in these turbulent times. When making important decisions this year, we should not only maintain such stability factors, but also try to make our country even more storm-proof, safer and more attractive.
[Liechtenstein uses the Swiss Franc as it's currency.]
Some of these decisions are made through referendums. We have valued direct democracy as a major achievement for over 100 years. On the one hand, it gives the electorate a broad say on issues, and on the other hand, it leads to early sensitization and signaling to the parliament, government and head of state during the legislative period.
Dear members of the Parliament and the Government,
I would now like to give you a few thoughts and, in view of the referendums, also the electorate as a whole. I also do this in the hope that I can help keep our boat on course. I will concentrate on the topics of securing our country's activities and the Old-Age strategy.
In the area of securing our attractiveness as a country, I would like to briefly address energy security, the popular election of the government, media policy and Liechtenstein's accession to the International Monetary Fund. Next weekend, we have two referendums on energy. Whatever the people decide, ensuring an environmentally friendly, stable energy supply at stable prices will remain a challenge in the coming years.
Accordingly, the Government and Parliament should continue to deal with this during this legislative period. The technological developments in this area are fast and we should - ideally as part of a broad project to implement the adopted energy strategy - use various criteria to deepen and quickly explore the various options for saving energy, producing our own energy at home and abroad, and storing energy and start implementing the best options. A popular election of the government sounds tempting at first, but it is a dangerous experiment, especially in stormy times. I don't think we can achieve any improvements by electing the government by the people that we couldn't achieve otherwise.
On the other hand, I see a significant risk that we will endanger our great political stability. This is not only an important factor to the attractiveness of our country, but also an important basis for our prosperity. A variety of good quality media is crucial for the proper functioning of a democracy. In a state as small as Liechtenstein, we need not just good media regulation in today's digital age, but sufficient media funding. But, we must also consider how we can best use our tax money.
We have no currency of our own and no national bank on stand-by in an emergency. Therefore, joining the International Monetary Fund would be an important step of Liechtenstein. Joining would result in rapid emergency response in the event of a disaster. Joining would also involve an annual review of the stability of our state finances and our country by experts from the Monetary Fund. We could benefit from their suggestions for improvement in the future, in order to further increase our attractiveness as a county or to make our boat even more storm-proof.
At the beginning of the legislative period, I advocated the development of an Old-Age strategy. I am very pleased that the government has managed to develop an Old-Age strategy together with senior citizens' representatives and experts from politics, administration, business and civil society in a broadly collapsed process. This strategy is intended to take measures in a wide range of areas such as education, pension provision, health care, care and support, volunteer work and social integration, mobility, work and living in old age. Each and every individual should assume responsibility and contribute in their respective areas to ensure that Liechtenstein remains a country with a high quality of life even in old age.
[The Old-Age strategy relates to the long-term financial security of Social Security, as well as things related to the older population.]
Some measures must first be examined and developed in more detail. Where legal regulations are required, the Parliament will probably not deal with this in more detail until the next legislative period at the earliest. However, some measures will soon concern Parliament. This includes ensuring truly sustainable financing of the state employees’ pension fund. Not least for the benefit of our future generations, we should also ensure sustainable financing in all areas of the Old-Age strategy. In addition to state financing, we must not forget to address the financing risks for private companies and their insured persons. If we manage to address and implement the necessary measures in all areas in a timely manner, this will ultimately make a significant contribution to securing our attractiveness as a location.
Dear members of Parliament and the Government, in this legislative period we will have to set a few important decisions for the future. Let us lead our country safely through the stormy times and be confident. Because where there are challenges, there are always solutions, and challenges always offer opportunities. I wish you a lot of strength, wisdom and God's blessing for your duties!
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