Federal Government ahead of the meeting between the German Chancellor and Prince Albert
of Monaco are communicated via the media.
The Sunday press on 24 February summarizes the week's coverage and, in addition to the
topics of BND and Heinrich Kieber, reports on the "popular sport of defrauding the State"
(Welt am Sonntag, 24). At the same time, portraits of the Principality of Liechtenstein and the
Princely Family are published, and speculations are voiced about the impact of the current
situation on the country. Federal Minister of Finance Peer Steinbrück takes the floor in Bild
am Sonntag, 24.2., and says that he would like to conclude a double taxation agreement with
Liechtenstein. Steinbrück confirms his demands again the beginning of the week. He wants to
"dry up tax havens," writes FAZ on 23.2.2008 (p. 11).
British media report on Sunday, 24.2. that the UK, like the BND, had previously paid money
for the "tax files".
On Tuesday, 26 February, the headline of the Handelsblatt claims that "Switzerland and
Austria will run for cover". The Süddeutsche Zeitung stays with the "Story of the second
man" (p. 7). The international expansion of the crisis remains the main topic in that week's
media reporting.
The press conference held by the Liechtenstein Office of the Public Prosecutor on 26
February meets with a good response in the media the following Wednesday, 27 February.
Nearly all opinion-forming media include the sum of "200 million" in "120 tax cases" in their
headlines. The FAZ publishes an interview with Prince Albert on 27.2. emphasizing that the
Principality of Monaco has endeavored for many years to adopt the international standards.
The international dimension of the issue again appears on the public agenda on Thursday, 28
February. Prime Minister Otmar Hasler's signing of the Schengen agreement is reported live
from Brussels, and the print media report and comment Prince Albert's visit to Berlin in the
morning. The assessment of Prince Albert's visit is predominantly positive. The Handelsblatt
discusses the Principality of Monaco's "good sense". But reports also include the German
Government's anti-money-laundering directive adopted the previous day and the
Liechtenstein Office of the Public Prosecutors request to Germany for mutual legal
assistance. The Principality is "turning the tables", writes Financial Times Deutschland (p.
11), and the international media also take up this report.
The intensity and the focus of coverage diminish significantly again over the coming days. On
Friday, 29 February, reporting concentrates predominantly on the Schengen accession of the
Principality of Liechtenstein and Liechtenstein's willingness to cooperate in the search for
supposed "tax evaders". The German Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schàuble indicates
that EU interior ministers will not unanimously approve Liechtenstein's membership in the
EU Schengen area (Handelsblatt, 29.2.).
The first companies and financial service providers (including Talanx) announce that they
will review their cooperation with Liechtenstein.
The "tax morality debate" has meanwhile increasingly moved to the feature pages and is
continued there.
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