# Gerard Batliner

Gerard Batliner (9 December 1928 – 25 June 2008) was a lawyer and politician from Liechtenstein who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1962 to 1970. He later served in the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 1974 to 1982 and as the President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 1974 to 1977. Additionally, he held numerous positions within the Council of Europe.

## Early life and career

Batliner was born on 9 December 1928 in Eschen as the son of farmer Andreas Batliner and Karolina Schafhauser as one of six children.
He studied law at the University of Fribourg and in Paris. From 1956 he worked as a lawyer in Vaduz. He was a member of the board of directors of the AHV/IV/FAK in Liechtenstein from 1959 to 1962, and was deputy mayor of Eschen from 1960 to 1962.

## Prime Minister of Liechtenstein

Batliner was the fifth Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, from 16 July 1962 to 18 March 1970. He succeeded the role from Alexander Frick following his resignation in July 1962.
During his time in office, Batliner worked in expanding Liechtenstein's foreign affairs, particularly working towards the country's accession into the Council of Europe. Additionally, his term in office included the founding, among other things, the Liechtenstein music school in 1963, the Liechtenstein development service in 1965, and the Liechtenstein state art collection in 1969. He also expanded Liechtenstein's welfare, with the social welfare act of 1965 and the founding of the association for special education aid in 1967.
The Patriotic Union won the 1970 Liechtenstein general election, making it the first time it held a majority since its founding in 1936. As a result, Batliner was succeeded by Alfred Hilbe.

## Later life

In 1973 Batliner was involved in the founding of the Liechtenstein Society for Environmental Protection. He became involved in politics again when he was elected to the Landtag of Liechtenstein in 1974, where he served until 1982. He was President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from January 1974 to December 1977.
From 1978 to 1982 Batliner was the Liechtenstein parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe, and was the vice president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 1981 to 1982. Additionally, he was a member of the European Commission of Human Rights from 1983 to 1990 and the Venice Commission from 1991 to 2003.
During the 1992 Liechtenstein constitutional crisis, Batliner, among other notable politicians, formed the Nonpartisan Committee for Monarchy and Democracy and called for a demonstration against Hans-Adam's threatened dissolution of the Landtag due to disagreements regarding the date of a referendum regarding to Liechtenstein's accession to the European Economic Area. As a result, approximately 2,000 people demonstrated in front of the government house in Vaduz. In the run-up to the 2003 Liechtenstein constitutional referendum, Batliner was opposed to the proposed changes by the prince.

## Personal life

He received honorary degrees from the University of Basel and Innsbruck.
Batliner married Christina Negele (born 30 July 1946) on 17 July 1965 and they had two children together. He died in Eschen on 25 June 2008, aged 79 years old.

## Honors and awards

* Austria: Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria (1974)
* Liechtenstein: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein (1967)