{{Short description|Liechtenstein politician (born 1978)}} {{about||the Brazilian sailor|Manfred Kaufmann (sailor)}} {{Infobox officeholder | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|10|09|df=y}} | birth_place = Balzers, Liechtenstein | party = Patriotic Union | children = 1 | term_start2 = 5 February 2017 | office2 = Member of the Landtag of Liechtenstein for Oberland | spouse = {{marriage|Dahiana Garcia Vasquez|2008}} | image = Manfred Kaufmann (cropped).jpg | caption = Kaufmann in 2024 | office = President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein | term_start = 10 April 2025 | predecessor = Albert Frick | vice_president = Franziska Hoop | monarch = Hans-Adam II<br />''Alois (regent)'' }} '''Manfred Kaufmann''' (born 9 October 1978) is an accountant and politician from Liechtenstein who has served as the President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein since 2025. A member of the Patriotic Union (VU), he has served in the Landtag since 2017, and was the party's spokesperson in the Landtag from 2020 to 2025.
== Life == Kaufmann was born on 9 October 1978 in Balzers as the son of floor layer Hans Kaufmann and Hildegard (née Fehr) as one of six children. He attended school in the municipality and from 1994 to 1997 he conducted a commercial apprenticeship at ''TTA Trevisa-Treuhand-Anstalt'' in Balzers. From 1997 to 2001, he was an accountant at the company. From 2001 to 2008 he worked as an auditor at ''KPMG'' in Schaan, and then at ''Bank Frick & Co. AG'' from 2008 to 2016. From 2016 to 2018 he was an accountant at VP Bank, and from 2021 to 2025 was an auditor at BDO (Liechtenstein) AG in Vaduz. Since 2025, he has been head of finance at the law firm ''Gassner Partner'' in Schaan.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=5 August 2021 |title=Kaufmann, Manfred |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Kaufmann,_Manfred?marker=Manfred+Kaufmann |access-date=28 November 2024 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein |language=de}}</ref>
From 2011 to 2019 he was a member of the audit committee in Balzers. He was a deputy member of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 2013 to 2017, and he has been a full member since 2017 as a member of the Patriotic Union (VU); he was a member of the foreign committee from 2017 to 2025, and its chairman from 2021 to 2025.<ref name=":0" /> He was the Landtag's spokesman for the VU from 2020 to 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 February 2020 |title=Manfred Kaufmann neuer VU-Fraktionssprecher |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/manfred-kaufmann-neuer-vu-fraktionssprecher-art-411999 |access-date=28 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 February 2025 |title=Dagmar Bühler-Nigsch ist neue Fraktionssprecherin der VU |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/dagmar-buehler-nigsch-ist-neue-fraktionssprecherin-der-vu-art-590032 |access-date=17 February 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref> During his time in the Landtag, he has called for stronger penalties against the sexual abuse of minors and "Liechtenstein first" policies for state-owned companies, prioritizing Liechtenstein-based contractors as opposed to foreign ones.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 February 2019 |title=Strafe bei Missbrauch soll weiter erhöht werden |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/gesellschaft/vermischtes/strafe-bei-missbrauch-soll-weiter-erhoeht-werden-art-372137 |access-date=28 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=7 June 2018 |title=Mehr "Liechtenstein first" von Staatsbetrieben gefordert |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/mehr-liechtenstein-first-von-staatsbetrieben-gefordert-art-333070 |access-date=12 January 2026 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref>
In October 2022, along with Johannes Kaiser, he proposed an initiative in the Landtag to return to the old system of pension calculation, thus at an increase for pensioners;<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Schädler |first=Patrik |date=12 May 2022 |title=Mit "Fairnessinitiative" könnten Renten um 30 Franken steigen |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/mit-fairnessinitiative-koennten-renten-um-30-franken-steigen-art-490018 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251009125619/https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/mit-fairnessinitiative-koennten-renten-um-30-franken-steigen-art-490018 |archive-date=9 October 2025 |access-date=1 October 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Becker |first=Damian |date=5 November 2022 |title=Pensionisten erhalten höhere Renten |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/pensionisten-erhalten-hoehere-renten-art-511094 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251009125751/https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/pensionisten-erhalten-hoehere-renten-art-511094 |archive-date=9 October 2025 |access-date=1 October 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref> the proposal was successfully introduced in November.<ref name=":2" />
Since 10 April 2025, Kaufmann has been the President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 April 2025 |title=Neue Regierung ist im Amt |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/neue-regierung-ist-im-amt-art-595778 |access-date=10 April 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref> Since taking office, he has supported extensive Landtag reform, including increasing the number of elected members and abolishing the deputy member position.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thöny |first=Sina |date=6 January 2026 |title=VU rückt die Zukunft des Landtags in den Fokus |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/vu-rueckt-die-zukunft-des-landtags-in-den-fokus-art-695344 |access-date=13 March 2026 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}</ref>
== Personal life == Kaufmann married Dahiana Garcia Vasquez on 30 May 2008 and they have one child together. He lives in Balzers.<ref name=":0" />
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Presidents of the Landtag of Liechtenstein}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaufmann, Manfred}} Category:Living people Category:1978 births Category:Politicians from Balzers Category:Patriotic Union members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein Category:Members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (2017–2021) Category:Members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (2021–2025) Category:Liechtenstein accountants Category:Members of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (2025–2029) Category:Presidents of the Landtag of Liechtenstein Category:Businesspeople from Balzers