The rights and duties of the Head of State are laid down in the Constitution of Liechtenstein, which defines the Principality as a constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic and parliamentary basis. The sovereignty of the country is shared between the Reigning Prince and the People. This entails rights and duties for both sovereigns of the country.
For the Reigning Prince, this means an active role in foreign policy which the Head of State sometimes plays independently of the Government elected by the People. For example, the establishment of a legation in Bern in 1944, the country’s accession to the UN in 1990 and its entry into the European Economic Area (EEA) in 1995 were all the result of foreign policy initiatives by the respective Reigning Princes.
The Head of State appoints the Government on a proposal from Parliament and can convene Parliament and adjourn or dissolve it on significant grounds. Furthermore, as chairman of the Judicial Selection Board, the Reigning Prince also exercises an important role in the appointment of judges. In addition to the approval of Parliament, the Reigning Prince’s assent is required for the validity of any law. If the Reigning Prince does not grant his sanction within six months, it is deemed to have been refused.
The People on the other hand, as the second sovereign, can use the right of initiative to propose laws, to vote on laws passed by Parliament in referendums, to express a vote of no confidence in the Reigning Prince, or to bring about the abolition of the monarchy. This means that the monarch in Liechtenstein is at all times
