{{Short description|President of the Progressive Citizens' Party since 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|10|24|df=y}} | birth_place = Chur, Switzerland | party = Progressive Citizens' Party | children = 2 | term_start = 6 November 2019 | office = Member of the Landtag of Liechtenstein for Unterland | spouse = {{marriage|Birgit Heeb|2001}} | image = Alexander Batliner (cropped).jpg | caption = Batliner in 2025 | term_end = 7 February 2021 | relations = Martin Risch (great-uncle)<br> Christian Batliner (cousin) | office2 = President of the Progressive Citizens' Party | term_start2 = 16 September 2024 | predecessor = Johannes Hasler | predecessor2 = Daniel Oehry | term_start3 = 2009 | term_end3 = August 2013 | predecessor3 = Johannes Matt | successor3 = Elfried Hasler | vice_president2 = Eva-Maria Bechter (Oberland)<br>Thomas Hasler (Unterland) | vice_president3 = Elmar Kindle }} '''Alexander Batliner''' (born 24 October 1967) is a politician from Liechtenstein who served in the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 2019 to 2021. He has been the President of the Progressive Citizens' Party since 2024, having previously served from 2009 to 2013.
== Life == Batliner was born on 24 October 1967 in Chur as the son of lawyer and trustee Herbert Batliner and Rita (née Bühler) as one of four children. He grew up and attended elementary school in Vaduz before attending school in Vilters-Wangs and Oberägeri. From 1988 to 1998 he studied German, journalism and communication sciences and the University of Bern and University of Freiburg, where he graduated with a Licentiate.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2 October 2024 |title=Batliner, Alexander |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Batliner,_Alexander |access-date=3 August 2025 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein |language=de}}</ref>
He worked as a journalist at the newspaper ''Liechtensteiner Volksblatt'' and was its editor from 1999 to 2001. Since 2001, he has been owner and managing director of ''Alexander Batliner Est'', a public relations company in Mauren. Additionally, he has made numerous commentative publications on the history of Liechtenstein companies and associations. He was a board member of Radio Liechtenstein from 2004 to 2006 and since 2018 has been the president of the Peter Kaiser memorial foundation.<ref name=":0" />
Batliner was the president of the Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) from 2009 to August 2013, when he resigned due to disagreements with prime minister Adrian Hasler regarding minimum income tax.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marxer |first=Wilfred |date=October 2024 |title=Fortschrittliche Bürgerpartei (FBP) |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Fortschrittliche_B%C3%BCrgerpartei_(FBP) |access-date=3 August 2025 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Quaderer |first=Elias |date=11 September 2024 |title=Alexander Batliner: Die wichtigsten Stationen seiner politischen Karriere |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/alexander-batliner-die-wichtigsten-stationen-seiner-politischen-karriere-art-576100 |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref> He was a deputy member of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 2017 until on 6 November 2019 he succeeded Johannes Hasler as a full member following his resignation, and he was a full member until 2021.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=7 November 2019 |title=Alexander Batliner wird Abgeordneter - Norman Walch neuer FBP-Stellvertreter |url=https://www.eliechtensteinensia.li/viewer/image/000476564_2019/5258/#topDocAnchor |access-date=14 January 2026 |work=Liechtensteiner Volksblatt |pages=6 |language=de}}</ref> Batliner was a deputy government councillor under Sabine Monauni from March to August 2021, when he resigned citing personal reasons.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=11 August 2021 |title=Alexander Batliner tritt zurück |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/gesellschaft/alexander-batliner-tritt-zurueck-art-456056 |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref>
In 2023, Batliner was the leading opponent against the introduction of mandatory photovoltaic panels on non-residential buildings and a reform of energy efficiency standards proposed by Monauni.<ref name=":2" /> In September 2023 he formed a popular initiative against them and in the subsequent referendums on 21 January 2024 both proposals were rejected by voters.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 September 2023 |title=Komitee ergreift Referendum gegen beide Vorlagen |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/komitee-ergreift-referendum-gegen-beide-vorlagen-art-543093 |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Quaderer |first=Elias |date=22 January 2024 |title=Nein, nein und nochmals nein |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/nein-nein-und-nochmals-nein-art-555163 |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref>
In August 2024 FBP president Daniel Oehry resigned in order to become a government candidate in the 2025 Liechtenstein general election.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 August 2024 |title=Präsentation des FBP-Regierungsteams für die Landtagswahlen 2025 |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liveticker/liveticker-fbp-regierungsteam-13082024-191/ |access-date=13 August 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref> As a result, Batliner again became president of the FBP the following month.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=10 September 2024 |title=Alexander Batliner kehrt zurück als FBP-Präsident |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/alexander-batliner-wird-neuer-fbp-praesident-art-576066 |access-date=30 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref> Due to this, in addition to the FBP nominating Ernst Walch as its candidate for prime minister for the election, the ''Liechtensteiner Vaterland'' described Batliner's presidency as the "conservative wing taking over again".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sele |first=David |date=25 September 2024 |title=«Für euch. Fürs Land.» – FBP startet in den Wahlkampf |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/fuer-euch-fuers-land-wahlkampfauftakt-der-fbp-art-577538 |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref> In the election, the FBP achieved its lowest result in its history.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Landtagswahlen 2025 - Ergebnisse |url=https://www.landtagswahlen.li/resultat/16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211170451/https://www.landtagswahlen.li/resultat/16 |archive-date=2025-02-11 |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=www.landtagswahlen.li |language=de}}</ref> As a result, Batliner has announced his intention to restructure the FBP ahead of the 2029 election.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sele |first=David |date=8 April 2025 |title=Parteipräsident Batliner will FBP umbauen |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/batliner-will-fbp-umbauen-art-595441 |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref>
== Personal life == Batliner married Birgit Heeb, a former ski racer, on 1 September 2001 and they have two children together. He lives in Mauren.<ref name=":0" /> He is the great-nephew of Martin Risch, and his cousin Christian Batliner also served in the Landtag.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 June 2022 |title=Batliner, Christian |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Batliner,_Christian |access-date=3 August 2025 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein |language=de}}</ref>
== References == {{Commons category}}{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Batliner, Alexander}} Category:Living people Category:1971 births Category:Politicians from Mauren Category:Liechtenstein journalists Category:Liechtenstein historians Category:Liechtenstein public relations people Category:Members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (2017–2021) Category:Presidents of the Progressive Citizens' Party Category:Progressive Citizens' Party members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein