VADUZ : The Mouse That Voted
The tiny Alpine country of Liechtenstein (pop. 30,000) is caught between a rock (Austria) and a hard place (Switzerland).
Like Austria, it wants to join the European Economic Area, a free-trade zone between the giant European Community and the smaller European Free Trade Assn., of which Liechtenstein, Austria and Switzerland are members. But Liechtenstein also wants to preserve its customs treaty with Switzerland, whose voters have chosen to stay out of the European Economic Area. How to join the EEA without jeopardizing the customs treaty with Switzerland is thus a great issue here in Liechtenstein’s capital.
Parliamentary elections this weekend will show whether voters see the governing Patriotic Union or the opposition Progressive Citizens Party as best equipped to walk that tightrope.
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