Why should a tiny alpine nation nestled between the Swiss and Austrian Alps with a population of only 35,000 spread over 62 square miles, no airport, one hospital, 155 miles of paved roadway, and only irregular local train service be taken seriously by anyone? Because it has the highest gross domestic product per person in the world when adjusted by purchasing power parity (over $140,000 per capita), the world's lowest external debt, and the second lowest unemployment rate in the world (recently as low as 1.5 percent). But the Principality of Liechtenstein happens to be just such a place.
Liechtenstein is a constitutional monarchy organized as a unitary parliamentary democracy with an enlightened Reigning Prince by the name of Hans-Adam II. Since the constitutional reform of 2003 was implemented by the Prince, the citizens of Liechtenstein actually have the right to abolish the monarchy altogether. Hans-Adam has a quite unique philosophy of government for a reigning monarch. In his view citizens should not be seen as servants of the state, but rather as customers of a benevolent service company, otherwise known as the state, whose aim is to serve its customers. If the customers don't like the service, they can replace the service company, namely, the monarchy. "Ask not what a citizen can do for the state, but rather what the state can do better for the citizen than any other organization," says the Prince.
Read more here
No comments:
Post a Comment