Volltext: Liechtenstein and the German tax affair:

5.4 Phase 3 "Expansion of Zumwinkel affair into tax affair" (18.2. — 29.2.2008) 
5.4.1 Overview of events 
On Monday, 18 February 2008, 160 e-mail messages from Germany are received at the 
official e-mail address of the Liechtenstein Government; by the end of the week, there are far 
more than 300. The media clippings reach entirely new heights starting 18.2.: from 18 to 22 
February alone, the clipping contains 2,251 articles (previous month of January 2008 by 
comparison: 580 articles). 
On Tuesday, 19 February 2008, a press conference takes place with H.S.H. Hereditary Prince 
Alois von und zu Liechtenstein and Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Dr. Klaus 
Tschütscher on the current events in Vaduz. This is the first time Liechtenstein communicates 
publically about the events surrounding the Zumwinkel affair and the data theft at LGT. 
Hereditary Prince Alois and Dr. Tschütscher emphasize that they reject the German methods. 
"In Liechtenstein, fiscal interests cannot trump principles of the rule of law," the Hereditary 
Prince says. He thus indirectly criticizes the German tax system and compares it with the 
Liechtenstein philosophy of State. In his remarks, the Justice Minister emphasizes respect for 
privacy, which is expressed in concrete terms in bank client confidentiality. He also confirms 
that investigations against unknown perpetrators have been initiated that day in Vaduz on 
charges of spying out a business secret. Hereditary Prince Alois adds that Germany cannot 
solve the problem with its taxpayers by launching an attack on Liechtenstein and a "grossly 
inflated media campaign". Germany should instead invest its tax revenue in improving its tax 
system rather than spending millions on data whose legal usability is in doubt. 
On Wednesday, 20 February 2008, the long-planned official visit by Prime Minister Otmar 
Hasler to Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel takes place in Berlin. It is the first official visit 
of a Liechtenstein prime minister to the German Federal Chancellery since 1992. 
On Wednesday, 20 February 2008, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Dr. Klaus 
Tschütscher holds a press conference on the total revision of foundation law in Vaduz, which 
is to be submitted for a first reading by the meeting of Parliament on 13 March (where it 1s 
approved unanimously) The reform of foundation law is not a reaction to the German 
accusation, however, as is assumed by some. The reform efforts date back to the year 1999. 
On Thursday, 21 February, Parliament is opened in Vaduz, with the traditional throne speech 
by the Hereditary Prince, which in light of the current events is also taken up by the 
international media. Parliament meets for the first time in the new Parliament Building, which 
was ceremoniously inaugurated a week before. 
On Tuesday, 26 February, Chief Public Prosecutor Dr. Robert Wallner holds a press 
conference in Vaduz on the "Heinrich Kieber case". 
On Wednesday, 27 February, the official visit by Prince Albert of Monaco to Federal 
Chancellor Angela Merkel takes place in Berlin. 
On Thursday, 28 February, Prime Minister Otmar Hasler signs the Schengen association 
agreement in Brussels. 
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