Volltext: Liechtenstein and the German tax affair:

subprime crisis that had to be helped up by the State with millions of euros of tax money, 
especially the IKB. 
Also in the international relations befween Liechtenstein and Germany, a known background 
already existed and the soil was not unprepared. For years, Liechtenstein has been and 
continues to be criticized because of its /ow taxes for enterprises and holding companies as 
well as for its legal instrument of the foundation. The Liechtenstein financial center, like the 
Swiss financial center, was known for its traditionally excellent financial services, and its 
discretion which was manifested in bank client confidentiality. For instance, Jews were able 
to save their assets and often their lives from the Hitler regime by placing their money in the 
discreet Swiss and later Liechtenstein financial center. Securing assets in a way that deprives 
the State of its legitimate revenue is now no longer tolerated. That Liechtenstein has no 
interest in enriching itself at the expense of others was repeatedly emphasized by the 
Government and was shown in practice with its signature of the EU Savings Tax Agreement 
in 2004, which entered into force on 1 July 2005. Former German Minister of Finance Hans 
Eichel expressed his dismay at the Liechtenstein situation using the unflattering term "maggot 
in the bacon". 
6.7.2 Influences on the issue structure 
The processes of framing of issues by the media do not occur independently of other actors, 
all of whom are trying to garner attention for "their" issues and assert their interests. The 
question therefore arises who ultimately sets the agenda and what actors, especially 
politicians and interest groups, are able to place "their" issues and frames in the media and 
thus gain public attention and keep it for the long run. 
The influences on the issue structure occur at different levels of intensity. Eichhorn 
distinguishes four types of processes in this regard, as already discussed in Chapter 2.4.4: 
interactive processes between actors "which can communicate with each other in manageable 
arenas"; focused influence processes, i.e. "intentional acts that target not individual actors, but 
rather institutions"; unfocused influence processes, "which target a mass audience or sub- 
audiences"; and the /atent influences emanating from the audience as a whole (Eichhorn 2005, 
155). 
The reporting of the mass media, the "targeted reconstruction of the social environment in the 
media", influences the public and the other actors; conversely, the results of the reporting — 
such as reactions by the public to the reporting — in turn influence the mass media (see 
Eichhorn 2005, 156). Media reporting is thus, according to Eichhorn's model, a central carrier 
of the framing-of-issues process. This is also the experience of the author of this paper. 
6.7.2.1 Interactive processes 
The category of interactive processes includes the working talks between Liechtenstein Prime 
Minister Otmar Hasler on the one side and German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and 
Federal Minister of Finance Peer Steinbriick on the other side on 20 February 2008 and 
Federal Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schäuble on 19 February 2008. These were 
interactive processes, which substantially influenced the framing-of-issues process through a 
66
	        

Nutzerhinweis

Sehr geehrte Benutzerin, sehr geehrter Benutzer,

aufgrund der aktuellen Entwicklungen in der Webtechnologie, die im Goobi viewer verwendet wird, unterstützt die Software den von Ihnen verwendeten Browser nicht mehr.

Bitte benutzen Sie einen der folgenden Browser, um diese Seite korrekt darstellen zu können.

Vielen Dank für Ihr Verständnis.